What You Missed from Sabres’ Shutout Win Over Kings

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen shut out the Los Angeles Kings in his return from injury as the Buffalo Sabres won, 1-0. It was a low-event game that many fans on the East Coast probably favored sleep over, but the Sabres found a way to win it. The win propels Buffalo into a realistic chance at sweeping the trip out West, with the Sabres facing perennial cellar-dwellers, the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks, on Friday and Saturday.

Two scoreless periods of late-night hockey weren’t ideal for Sabres fans. Jason Zucker finally got Buffalo on the board on an opening-period powerplay in the third. He deflected Rasmus Dahlin’s shot past David Rittich to give the Sabres a much-needed lift.

A late flurry of chances for the Kings were all unsuccessful, allowing the Sabres to hold on for the victory.

Low Shot Totals

Low-event hockey wasn’t exactly in the cards for the Sabres, although head coach Lindy Ruff quipped that the Kings have tightened things up as of late. Buffalo’s shot totals have declined in recent games, and the quality isn’t up to par.

Shot totals were even at 12 heading into the final frame. The Sabres finished with 19 shots on goal, while the Kings had 24.

The Sabres were riding their finishing ability and a little shooting luck heading into Wednesday’s game against the Kings, so perhaps this shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Luukkonen Great in Sabres Return

The Sabres were confident in the health of starting goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to the point that they felt comfortable taking only two goaltenders on the West Coast trip. Devon Levi did not make the cut as a result, as the Sabres sent him down to AHL Rochester.

More: Sabres Sending Devon Levi Down to Rochester; Another Key Forward Injured

Luukkonen was outstanding in his return to the crease. He saved 3.92 goals above expected, with some key pad adjustments to stonewall Los Angeles’ best attempts at beating him.

The impressive shutout is very encouraging for the Sabres going forward as they hope to get Tage Thompson back to boost the offensive production this weekend.

Related: Sabres Star Deserves Early MVP Consideration

BHN Cast Debut

We switched our coverage up for the Sabres After Dark fun against the Kings. The BHN Cast, a live stream during the game, was an instant success with well over 1,000 viewers. We fielded questions and provided conversational analysis and insight you can’t get during a normal game-viewing experience.

Chad DeDominicis of Expected Buffalo joined me in the first period to discuss the Sabres, the NHL, and a peel-back of the curtain regarding our jobs. Matt Moody of The Morning Skate Pod was my second-period surprise guest. He provided a great perspective of his Sabres fandom, daily fantasy hockey, sports betting, and following the NHL through a broader lens.

You can catch the full conversation on X by clicking on the embed below.

Sabres @ Kings BHN Cast ft. Chad DeDominicis https://t.co/DqpOouOYlq

— Jason Moser 🏒 (@PuckLuckJay) November 21, 2024