ST. THOMAS, Ontario -- The Buffalo Sabres aren't concerned two weeks before they begin the regular season despite getting outshot 41-15 in a 5-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at Joe Thornton Community Centre in Kraft Hockeyville 2023.
"It's training camp, guys are getting acclimated and it's all part of it," Sabres coach Don Granato said. "And a different venue; a much different venue."
The Sabres played their second game in as many nights and third in the past four. They play at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday and then have three games left before they open the season against the New York Rangers at KeyBank Center on Oct. 12.
Each preseason game has featured a lineup with few repeats on the roster from game to game. Only one player who played in a 4-1 win against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, forward Brett Murray, was in the lineup against Toronto, and three players from the game Wednesday will be in the lineup against Pittsburgh: forward prospect Aleksandr Kisakov, defenseman Jacob Bryson and goalie Michael Houser.
"You have to give guys some time to acclimate," Granato said. "I'm not going to evaluate and not going to overreact to something. All these guys need some time. They've had five, six months where they haven't had, whatever it's been, intense action at the NHL level, and this still isn't the NHL level. This is preseason hockey.
"Got to give time to guys, these moments to get back in a groove, and that's what we'll do. This little bit is for that, that's what preseason games are for. Guys get their feel back."
One of those players is goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who allowed three goals on 28 shots in two periods in his preseason debut.
The 24-year-old is battling Devon Levi, 21, and Eric Comrie, 28, to be the Sabres starter this season.
"It's a luxury to have guys pushing each other," Granato said. "That is an area that we've been very adamant about creating, that dynamic within our organization, by adding more talented players that can push other players next to them. That's really been something that's kind of moved us along."
Last season, Luukkonen was called up from Rochester of the American Hockey League in mid-November when Comrie was injured and spent the rest of the season in the NHL. He played an NHL career high 33 games, going 17-11-4 with 3.61 goals-against average and .892 save percentage. His 17 wins were the most among Buffalo goalies.
Luukkonen said he's happy with how his offseason training went but knows that his game can still find another level.
"I feel quicker," Luukkonen said. "I think I said it before, there's many reasons behind it. It's not only I'm quicker. I think there's a couple situations I'd like to play better, but I think reading the game and reading the plays better is something I need to improve on. I think being better at that makes me faster. Once you kind of read where the puck is going, it's easier to move."
Granato can see a difference.
"We can see his growth and confidence pretty steady, and that is a credit to him," he said. "I think our group has created a nice environment for 'Upie' to be himself, and I think he's continued to mature. He was never immature, but he's continued to mature every day."
Getting his first game in adds to Luukkonen's confidence and the experience of doing so at Hockeyville made it that much more enjoyable.
"It's great," he said. "I played (with Sudbury of the Ontario Hockey League, 2018-19) and the city, the rink reminds me of that. It was an early wake-up today, but coming to the rink and seeing there were so many kids there and all being excited about the game makes it that much better, especially in the preseason."
