Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550/WBEN) - Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 19 saves on Thursday night to record his second-straight shutout, leading the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks at KeyBank Center.
Neither team was able to score in the opening period, despite plenty of shots on goal. Buffalo was credited with 15 shots thanks, in part, to two power plays in the first. Chicago recorded four shots against Luukkonen.
The Sabres were able to kill off nearly four-straight minutes of a Chicago power play time in the second period to keep the game scoreless. Rasmus Dahlin was whistled for back-to-back penalties in the frame. The defenseman was first called for holding. Then he touched the puck while still in the penalty box at the conclusion of the penalty, sending the Blackhawks right back to the man advantage.
Zemgus Girgensons was able to break the scoreless tie just past the midway point of the second period with his fourth goal of the season. The Sabres forward tipped in a shot by Ryan Johnson to beat Arvid Soderblom in goal for the Blackhawks.
Johnson and Peyton Krebs assisted on the score that gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead.
JJ Peterka used a shot from a bad angle to double Buffalo's lead early in the third period. The forward's shot from along the goal line deflected off of Soderblom and into the net on the Sabres' fourth shot of the period. The goal was Peterka's 14th of the year.
A major penalty assessed to Philipp Kurashev gave the Sabres a five-minute power play early in the third period.
Dahlin was able to score less than a minute into the man advantage when his pass from the slot was tipped by a Blackhawks player and into the net.
Dahlin's 13th goal of the season was assisted by Casey Mittelstadt and Alex Tuch, giving the Sabres a 3-0 lead.
Luukkonen capped off his night by stopping all seven shots faced in the third period to record the 19-save shutout. His shutout streak was extended to 157:55, dating back to Saturday's 1-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
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SCORING RECAP
First Period:
BUF: NONE
CHI: NONE
Second Period:
BUF: 12:27 - Zemgus Girgensons (4) (Ryan Johnson, Peyton Krebs)
CHI: NONE
Third Period:
BUF: 2:55 - JJ Peterka (14) (Ryan Johnson, Jack Quinn); 6:06 - Rasmus Dahlin (13) PPG (Casey Mittelstadt, Alex Tuch)
CHI: NONE
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Losi & Gangi Three Stars of the Game:
1.) Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen - BUF
2.) Ryan Johnson - BUF
3.) Rasmus Dahlin - BUF
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What's next:
The Sabres will conclude their six-game homestand by welcoming the Tampa Bay Lightning for a Saturday matinee at KeyBank Center. The two teams will drop the puck at 12:30 p.m. EST on the flagship home of the Sabres Radio Network - WGR Sports Radio 550.
Pregame coverage with Brian Koziol starts at 11:30 a.m. EST.