Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - Zach Benson is trending towards playing on Tuesday night, as the Buffalo Sabres host the Ottawa Senators. However, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff still wanted to talk to him again after the optional morning skate.
Benson has missed five games with an injury that was lingering back when the season started, and he tried to play through it.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will likely get his second-straight start in goal on Tuesday. Luukkonen stopped 21-of-23 shots on Saturday in a 2-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings.
Luukkonen has played five of the last six games, going 3-2-0 with a 2.84 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage. Overall, he’s 3-4-1 this season with a 3.16 goals-against average and an .893 save percentage.
The 25-year-old hasn’t been what he was last year, but he hasn’t been awful either. He’s one of six players on the ice, and I asked Ruff if he’s getting enough big saves from Luukkonen and Devon Levi.
"We need to finish better, but we’re going to need some bigger saves at key times," said Ruff following Tuesday's optional skate. "If you look at the power play goal [Saturday in Detroit], that’s a goal where you want the save on that play, when [Dylan] Larkin flung it at the net. I think they understand that. You’ve got to get big saves, you’ve got to get timely saves, because sometimes the goaltender, more than anybody, wins the game. And at the same time, it’s all connected right from the offense back to our goaltending."
Connor Clifton is likely to be a healthy scratch for a second-straight game, and Ruff is looking for more from him, in particular.
"He needs to elevate his play," Ruff said of Clifton. "The standard has to be higher. His play hasn’t been up to where we think it should be."
Buffalo has ruined all the headway they had made with a 4-1-1 streak by losing three-straight games. Only the San Jose Sharks have a worse points percentage than the Sabres this season. That, combined with the league’s worst power play, 26th in goals-against average and 27th on the penalty kill, doesn't spell an improved team or a remotely close playoff team.
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Ottawa is an improving team, as their .545 points percentage is 13th in the NHL. The Sens have the third-best power play, and are 19th on the penalty kill. Ottawa is 8th in the NHL at keeping the puck out of the net with a 3.00 goals-against average.
After playing in four-straight games, Linus Ullmark got Saturday off and Anton Forsberg had a 22-save shutout of the Seattle Kraken.
Ullmark is 2-3-0 this season with a 2.62 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage
Tim Stutzle is 12th in league scoring with 16 points, while captain Brady Tkachuk has seven goals.
Tune in during "Schopp and the Bulldog" for pregame coverage on WGR starting at 6 p.m. EST when you’ll hear from Ruff, Benson and Jacob Bryson.