In a pivotal Atlantic Division showdown tonight, the struggling Buffalo Sabres play host to the soaring Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings enter the game having won five of their last six and are riding the wave of an overtime thriller against the Montreal Canadiens on Monday (Dec. 4).
In contrast, the Sabres are in trouble. They’ve faced huge difficulties over the past few weeks, and Sunday night’s (Dec. 3) 2-1 loss to the Nashville Predators added to their funk. Sabres head coach Don Granato’s team seems to have almost completely lost its rhythm and find themselves unable to rise in the Atlantic Division standings. They’ve only won three of their past 11 games.
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In this edition of Sabres News & Rumors, I’ll share some news about the Sabres as they enter the game.
Item One: The Sabres Are Facing Injury Woes
Part of the Sabres’ challenges are the result of injuries to key players. Tage Thompson, Zemgus Girgensons, and Jack Quinn remain sidelined and on injured reserve. Alex Tuch left the game against Nashville with a right hamstring issue, and Jordan Greenway is also listed as day-to-day.
Item Two: Victor Olofsson’s Season of Ups and Downs
By the time last season wrapped up, Victor Olofsson had reached his career-high total of 28 goals and had another 40-point season. It was the third time he’d scored 20 goals for the Sabres and also his third 40-point season. When he started the current 2023-24 season, he had hoped that the success would continue and he could put together another impactful season with the Sabres.
However, that didn’t happen. Olofsson had a slow start to the season, going scoreless in the first two games. Despite a strong performance last season, questions began to arise about whether he had a role in the Sabres lineup. He was a healthy scratch in mid-October and was replaced by Tyson Jost.
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However, after being in and out of the press box, on Nov. 14, Olofsson scored his first two goals of the season – the only two goals the Sabres put up in a 5-2 loss to the Boston Bruins. Finally, Sabres fans caught a glimpse of the form that earned him 28 goals the previous season.
On Nov. 24, in a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, Olofsson continued his resurgence by putting up two assists. It was the third multiple-point game in his past four. Things were starting to turn around for him. Then, in perhaps the Sabres best win of the season – beating the New York Rangers 5-1, Olofsson continued his solid point production when he registered two assists. It was his fourth multi-point game over his last seven.
In the Sabres’ last game, which was a disappointing 2-1 loss to the Predators on Dec. 3, Olofsson scored on a rare penalty shot. Despite the team’s loss, his offensive contributions remained a bright spot. He seems to have overcome his slow start to the season.
Item Three: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen Was Solid Despite Loss to Predators
As noted earlier, Sunday’s Predators game was close. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen played solid in the net despite the Sabres’ inability to score. He stopped 27 of 29 shots to keep his team in the game after giving up two quick goals in the first period.
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Luukkonen gave up both goals in just over a minute (1:14, to be exact). Although the young Finnish goalie shut down the Predators for the rest of the game, the guy at the other end of the ice was simply one goal better. The only goal that Juuse Saros gave up was Olofsson’s penalty shot in the second period.
In Sunday’s game, Luukkonen improved his performance significantly over his previous game against the St. Louis Blues, where he gave up six goals. He now stands with a record of 6-5-1 on the season, with a 2.81 goals-against average (GAA), and a .907 save percentage (SV%) through 13 games. Although the Sabres’ season seems to be in trouble, Luukkonen has emerged as a reliable crease protector for the Sabres. He’s having his ups and downs, but that’s the nature of the game for all young goalies.
Although Daily Faceoff has not confirmed Luukkonen as tonight’s starter, the chance is that he’ll once again be in the net looking to capitalize on his strong game against Nashville. He could be the difference between winning and losing tonight’s game.
What’s Next for the Sabres?
As Buffalo prepares for their game with the Red Wings tonight, it’s just a crap shoot to see which Sabres team will show up. Will it be the team that recently laid a beating on the Rangers or hung in there against the Predators? Or, will it be the team that gave up 19 goals in three games in between?
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In speaking after the Carolina Hurricanes game on Saturday (Dec. 2), Dylan Cozens emphasized the need for a change in mindset, stating, “We need to go in and look at each game like this is our game… We need to finish more checks, be harder to play against, stronger on puck battles.”
Playing a harder game would help.