Luukkonen Turns the Tide in Buffalo Win

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen gave Buffalo the kind of goaltending lift that turned a tight game into a win. He stopped 13 of 14 shots in 33:08 of ice time for a .93 save percentage.

His goals saved above expected was +0.71, meaning he prevented roughly three-quarters of a goal more than the average netminder would have in the same situation; his on-ice expected goals against was 1.71, showing the danger he faced. Those stops helped preserve a 5-3 victory.

Luukkonen’s season numbers still lag — through four games he has a .81 save percentage and has made 56 saves on 69 shots — so this outing was a positive outing within a bumpy start to the year.