Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said before Monday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers he and his staff will be having daily roster management discussions.
With goalie Eric Comrie having to come off Injured Reserve on Monday and defenseman Henri Jokiharju very close, things could, and most likely will change on a daily basis.
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Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen wasn’t playing anyway, so Monday’s move was to send him down and activate Comrie. It made all the sense in the world, because it gave them another day of not having to waive someone. If somebody would’ve gotten hurt against the Philadelphia Flyers, then a roster spot for Tuesday would’ve opened without waiving a player.
As expected, Sabres head coach Don Granato confirmed during his Tuesday morning visit on the "Howard and Jeremy Show" that Luukkonen would likely start against the Seattle Kraken.
“We’re considering all the options that anyone can consider, and we’re taking it day-by-day," said Granato with Howard Simon and Jeremy White.
“The good news is U.P.L. has played outstanding and has progressed, we like that. It’s not ideal to have three goalies. Teams have done it at various times, and we’re in one of those moments where we’re going to manage it that way and see how it proceeds.”
Granato also said Jokiharju is day-to-day, and they’ll talk to him Tuesday morning to see where he’s at.
So what are the options for Tuesday night's game roster-wise?
Buffalo could waive one or two players, or they could send Jack Quinn or JJ Peterka down for Tuesday. Rasmus Asplund and Vinnie Hinostroza have sat for a long time, and Quinn and Peterka have slumped after having a good hot streak.
If the Sabres wanted to go that route, you could send Quinn down for one game, and on Thursday if nothing changes, have Quinn back in and send Peterka down for a game.
This won’t go one forever. Let’s be honest, this is professional sports and you’re going to get injuries.
Luukkonen has won his last six starts and eight out of nine, but he has allowed nine goals in his last two games. Luukkonen has also won in overtime in his last three starts.
Overall this season, Luukkonen is 9-3-1 with a 3.49 goals-against average and an .894 save percentage.
From goaltending to the defense to the forwards, the Sabres had their worst game of the year Monday against the Philadelphia Flyers. Granato said following the loss his players just looked emotionally drained after the events of last week and three overtime wins. This was especially the case with games against the Washington Capitals and Minnesota Wild.
Monday was also the first time that the NHL’s highest scoring team got shut out.
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Tage Thompson has fallen to fifth in league scoring with 31 goals and 25 assists for 56 points. He’s now third in goal scoring.
Rasmus Dahlin is third in league defensemen, scoring with 44 points in 37 games.
Buffalo is 19th in the NHL with a .553 points percentage.
In three overall games against the Kraken, the Sabres haven’t even been in the game. In those three losses between last season and this year, Buffalo turned the puck over all night, and it wound up in their net a lot.
Seattle is the ninth-best team in the league with a points percentage of .641. As I mentioned earlier, Buffalo leads the league, scoring 3.89 goals per-game. Meanwhile, Seattle is third in the NHL with 3.67 goals per-game.
Seattle is 13-4-2 on the road this season, and are 4-0-0 on their current road trip that swept through Canada. In those four games, they scored 22 goals.
Monday night saw Martin Jones making 21 saves in a shutout win over the Montreal Canadiens, 4-0. Jones has played in six-straight games.
Overall this season, the veteran goalie is 19-5-3 with a 2.78 goals-against average and an .894 save percentage.
Seattle spreads their scoring out, as goals come from all over their lineup.
Join the Bulldog for pregame coverage on WGR starting at 6 p.m. EST when you’ll hear from Granato. We’re also expecting to speak with Dahlin and Alex Tuch.
