(WGR Sports Radio 550) - It was a very gutty effort by the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday, starting with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in goal.
The 25-year-old was calm, made some great saves, and stopped all 23 pucks he faced for his sixth-career shutout in a 1-0 win over the Los Angeles Kings.
Buffalo has won 5-of-7 games, but many want to focus on the two losses instead of the five wins, because they came against the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers. What people don’t realize is, yes, Montreal is last in the Eastern Conference, but they’re only three points out of a playoff spot held by - wait for it - the Sabres.
With the win, Buffalo jumped into the eighth and final playoff spot in the East, but it’s still a very tight race. Buffalo is also two points back of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division, but the Bolts still have two games in-hand.
This is how tight the Wild Card race is in the East, and how the Sabres have done with each team:
- New York Rangers: 25 points (W)
- Buffalo Sabres: 19 points
- New York Islanders: 19 points (L)
- Boston Bruins: 19 points
- Philadelphia Flyers: 18 points (L)
- Pittsburgh Penguins: 18 points (OTL)
- Ottawa Senators: 17 points (W)
- Columbus Blue Jackets: 16 points (L)
- Detroit Red Wings: 16 points (W, L)
- Montreal Canadiens: 16 points (L)
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The Sabres sat in the penalty box for most of the second period, which is why they only had three shots on goal. Between 18:35 of the first period and 16:12 of the second, Buffalo gave Los Angeles four power play chances. They gave them another in the third, but only allowed four shots total on the Kings' power play.
Ryan McLeod was a pillar on the PK, playing over six minutes shorthanded. Alex Tuch also played 4:46 shorthanded.
Buffalo also had five players caught on the ice as the Kings pulled David Rittich to try to tie the game at 1-1. Tuch got caught out there for 3:22, Owen Power for 2:47, Dylan Cozens 2:44, Henri Jokiharju for 2:47 and Zach Benson for 2:46.
Buffalo had five chances to clear the zone, but failed, but they played with desperation. Cozens had two blocked shots during the schmozzle, while Tuch and Jokiharju both had one.
The Kings could only manage two good scoring chances on the 6-on-5, as a puck came across the crease to Quinton Byfield, who had his stick break on him. Adrian Kempe also missed the net on a final one-timer.
Buffalo showed poise throughout the game, and didn’t mind going into the third period at 0-0.
Just 38 seconds into the final frame, while also on the power play, Rasmus Dahlin put a shot at the net and Jason Zucker tipped in his 200th NHL goal. It was the seventh-straight game the Sabres scored a power play goal, and now 10-out-of-11 games as well.
Dahlin extended his points streak to seven, scoring four goals and six assists for 10 points along the way.
For Zucker, it was his first goal in eight games.
Luukkonen played hurt against Montreal, and was pulled after the second period. To show you how well he's played lately, other than that Montreal game, he stopped all 23 shots Wednesday, 24-of-26 shots against the Calgary Flames, 25-of-26 against the Rangers, 37-of-38 against Ottawa and 21-of-23 against Detroit.
Tage Thompson still wasn’t able to play, but Buffalo is now 2-1-0 without him. They’ve only scored seven goals, but got four of the six points.
Buffalo continues its California swing on Friday in Anaheim. Before you all tell me how bad the Ducks are, they’re tied at .500 with the Sabres. Anaheim has won three in-a-row, and 4-out-of-5.