Entering road trip on win streak, Sabres look to build off recent success

The Buffalo Sabres returned to practice at KeyBank Center on Friday after sweeping their three-game homestand with wins over Edmonton, Detroit, and New York to move within three points of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Sabres will now embark on a five-game road trip, beginning with an important rematch against the Red Wings, who currently sit tied with the Islanders for the final Wild Card spot with 72 points.

Following practice, forward Alex Tuch said the group’s focus will be on getting ready for the first shift against Detroit after stringing together two strong starts in a row during the recent homestand.  

“Just our compete right from the drop of the puck,” Tuch said. “I think the first couple of shifts, everyone’s trying to get engaged and into it as soon as possible. We’re trying to put the other team on their heels as quickly as possible and making them uncomfortable and making them play at our speed. We feel like no one can handle us when we do that.”

Heading into the road trip on a three-game winning streak, Buffalo holds a 6-3-1 record in its last 10 games and a 17-11-1 record since the start of the new year.

The Sabres have allowed the second-fewest goals against (66) in the NHL since Jan. 1 while tallying 87 goals of their own in that span.

“The belief has never wavered in this locker room,” Tuch said. “I think we always knew what we were capable of and now we’re kind of getting to show it. We’re getting a little bit of luck on our side as well, but we’re coming out and we’re trying to prove a lot of people wrong.”

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has played a key role in the Sabres’ success in 2024, starting in 24 of Buffalo’s 29 games since Jan. 1, establishing himself as the team’s primary starter.

Luukkonen made 21 saves Thursday to record his fifth shutout of the season, which ranks tied for second in the NHL. The 25-year-old has registered more shutouts than any other goaltender since Jan. 1, with four shutouts in that span.

Luukkonen also ranks first in save percentage (.932%) and goals-against average (1.87) among goalies with a minimum of nine games played since Jan. 1.

“He’s been our best player the last probably few months, honestly,” Tuch said. “He’s kept us in a lot of games, and he’s stolen some games for us. Now we’re trying to help him out as much as possible. We’ve been playing really good team defense and backchecking hard. But he’s been phenomenal for us each and every night and it makes our lives a whole lot easier.”

Rasmus Dahlin also shared how Luukkonen’s play has given the Sabres confidence in any situation.

“You just know he’s going to take the first puck, and we make sure we get the rebound,” Dahlin said. “And you know, if I give up a 2-on-1, I’m still calm because I know he’s gonna save it. So, it builds a confidence in the whole group because he plays unreal.”

Here’s more from Friday’s practice.

1. Here’s a current look at the Eastern Conference Wild Card race ahead of this weekend’s games.

2. Jack Quinn skated on his own on Friday for the first time since sustaining a lower-body injury in Buffalo’s game against San Jose on Jan. 27, Sabres coach Don Granato announced. Quinn underwent successful surgery during the All-Star break and does not yet have a timetable for his return.

“Lots of progress,” Granato said. “He skated today for the first time. That’s the great news. Still no news on the timetable from this point. It’s his first time skating and he’s had a long, long stretch of inactivity within the joint and area of injury.”

Granato said Quinn will not travel with the team and will instead stay back in Buffalo to continue to work on his rehab.

3. Jordan Greenway skated 17:18 against the Islanders on Thursday, recording three shots, five hits, and a plus-2 rating. He logged 3:42 of shorthanded ice time on the Sabres’ top penalty-kill unit as the team ended the evening a perfect 4-for-4 on the kill.

The Sabres also held a 13-4 edge in shot attempts when Greenway, Zach Benson, and Dylan Cozens were on the ice together at 5-on-5, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Granato shared how Greenway’s leadership and maturity have impacted the young group.

“He’s a leader,” Granato said. “If there was a camera on the bench, you could watch it. He’s very vocal. He’s up and down the bench, even on the TV timeout, talking to the defensemen as a group, talking to the forwards as a group, and sharing his insight. Very, very intelligent player. … So, a lot to offer and he does offer it.”

4. According to Stathead, Luukkonen has recorded 28 quality starts through his first 39 starts (.718) of 2023-24, which is the best quality start percentage by a Sabres goaltender with at least 10 starts in a single season since Stathead began tracking the statistic in 2007-08.

Following practice, Granato said that Luukkonen’s puck handling and situational awareness have contributed to his and the defensive group’s success.

“It’s doing the right thing with the puck,” Granato said. “So not only do you have to handle it, but you got to get it to the right area to make time. You got to wait and wait for things to open up sometimes and commit a forechecker to one defenseman before you pass it. So, he has more presence in his games, presence with the puck, in that case.”

5. The Sabres skated with the same lines and pairs they played with throughout their homestand. Here’s how the group lined up in full:

Forwards

28 Zemgus Girgensons – 72 Tage Thompson – 89 Alex Tuch

12 Jordan Greenway – 24 Dylan Cozens – 9 Zach Benson

53 Jeff Skinner – 19 Peyton Krebs – 77 JJ Peterka

50 Eric Robinson – 17 Tyson Jost – 71 Victor Olofsson

13 Lukas Rousek

Defensemen

4 Bowen Byram – 26 Rasmus Dahlin

25 Owen Power – 10 Henri Jokiharju

78 Jacob Bryson – 75 Connor Clifton

38 Kale Clague

Goalies

1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

31 Eric Comrie