Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – As the Buffalo Sabres hosted the San Jose Sharks on Monday afternoon, it was obvious neither team had been on the ice for two days.
Both teams were sluggish, and I didn’t take one note from the first period other than Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen making eight saves in net for Buffalo.
Luukkonen was making his third-straight start and made 28 saves for his second-career shutout. Luukkonen has given up one goal in his last two games, and five goals in his last four starts.
If you want to go back further, he’s allowed seven goals in his last five starts.
Luukkonen had mentioned he was working to get consecutive starts, and he said it meant a lot to him that the coaches have shown the faith in him to give him three-straight starts.
Sabres head coach Don Granato was quick to point out he didn’t give Luukkonen anything, that he earned his playing time.
As the Sabres looked for their legs, Granato said it was good that Luukkonen was on his game early.
Luukkonen had to stop a 2-on-1 early in the second period, and was looking at a 4-on-2 that the Sharks screwed up. Buffalo wasn’t awful defensively, but I’ve seen them better.
In his last five games, Luukkonen has a 1.40 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage.
Once the Sabres got their legs, Buffalo’s leading scorer, Casey Mittelstadt, took over. Mittelstadt opened the scoring in the second period when he had Kyle Okposo at the net, and used a sleek little toe drag to use Marc-Edouard Vlasic as an additional screen.
Mittelstadt also got an assist on Alex Tuch’s power play goal, and an assist on Jordan Greenway’s empty netter. That gives Mittelstadt 16 points in his last 14 games.
Overall this season, Mittelstadt has 12 goals and 26 assists for 38 points in 44 games.
With Mattias Samuelsson out with a concussion, defenseman Henri Jokiharju drew back into the lineup and played very well. Granato said he was good at killing plays defensively, and the reason he sits sometimes is because he seems to wear down.
What I wasn’t expecting was Jokiharju had seven shots on net and eight shot attempts.
Dylan Cozens only played 11:25 in this game, and Granato says he’s playing with soreness.
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Buffalo needed the win to get to within seven points of seventh and eighth place spot in the Eastern Conference. They also have five teams to leapfrog instead of six now.
The Sabres next host the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday.
