Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – The Buffalo Sabres are in Southern California on Tuesday to play the Anaheim Ducks to start their three-game road trip along the West Coast. This after a disappointing six-game homestead that saw Buffalo finish 3-3-0.
With back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi will probably split both games. Buffalo will play the Kings in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
It’s amazing to me that Luukkonen has only allowed three goals in his last four starts and the team is 2-2-0. Buffalo scored one goal combined in those two losses.
It’s also amazing that in the Sabres' last eight games, they’re third in the NHL with an average of just 1.75 goals-against, but their record is 5-3-0.
Overall, Luukkonen is 11-10-2 this season with a 2.61 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage.
This Sabres team just can’t win with their best players not being their best players.
- Tage Thompson has scored in one of his last seven games.
- Alex Tuch has one goal in five games.
- Dylan Cozens has scored twice in 12 games.
- Jack Quinn hasn’t scored in seven games.
- Jordan Greenway has one goal in 12 games.
- Zach Benson hasn’t scored in 15 games.
- Peyton Krebs has one goal in 17 games.
- Kyle Okposo hasn’t scored in nine games.
- Casey Mittelstadt has one goal in seven games.
- Victor Olofsson hasn’t scored in 12 games.
Jeff Skinner will likely be back on Tuesday, but he’s missed five games with an upper-body injury. Head coach Don Granato said Tuesday morning with Jeremy White and Joe DiBiase that Skinner will probably be good to go for Tuesday.
After scoring a power play goal in three out of four games, the power play went 0-for-2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
The penalty kill has gone five-straight games without giving up a goal, killing 15-of-15 penalties.
Both Thompson and Ryan Johnson will be playing against their dads on Tuesday, as Brent Thompson and Craig Johnson are on the Ducks' coaching staff.
Anaheim has lost five-of-six games, and has only won six of their last 31 games. Anaheim is 30th in the NHL with a points percentage of .337.
The Ducks are 29th in goals scored.
John Gibson has played four of their last six games in goal. He is 8-19-0 overall this season with a 3.10 goals-against average and an .899 save percentage.
Frank Vatrano has 21 goals in 46 games for the Ducks.
In 20 games played this season, Trevor Zegras only has four goals and three assists for seven points. However, he will be out for some time after undergoing surgery to repair a broken ankle.
Last season in 81 games, Zegras had 23 goals and 42 assists for 65 points.
This past June, the Ducks took Leo Carlsson with the second overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. In 27 games, the 19-year-old has eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points.
Only four first-round picks from 2023 are playing in the NHL: Connor Bedard (Chicago Blackhawks), Carlsson, Adam Fantilli (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Benson, who was taken 13th overall.
Join Brian Koziol and myself for pregame coverage on WGR starting at 9 p.m. EST when you’ll hear from Granato, Quinn and Henri Jokiharju.
Losi & Gangi
