Knightly Genius Lights Up Net, Shocking Opponents!
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped all 27 shots he faced to give visiting Buffalo the win in the first of a four-game Western road trip.
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (1) makes a save against Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) during the second period at T-Mobile Arena. LAS VEGAS — If the Golden Knights truly are intent on getting on a late-season run, Tuesday was going to be critical to that task. The first-place Buffalo Sabres — yes, that’s weird to say given their recent history — were at T-Mobile Arena and presented the kind of challenge a good team would need to meet if it were serious about being real contenders for a Stanley Cup.
That’s not to say Vegas and Buffalo will meet for the Stanley Cup come June. I’m not quite sure either team has the kind of goaltending required to win 16 postseason games. Especially if the Knights’ Adin Hill continues to misplay pucks behind his net.
He got away with it Saturday against Chicago as Tomas Hertl bailed him out by blocking the shot with his stick. Tuesday, in what was his fifth consecutive appearance, he wasn’t as fortunate as Josh Doan got the puck, banked off the out-of-position goalie and in to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead. Chasing the game had been a Golden Knights staple for a good portion of this season.
Lately, they have been playing with the lead and it resulted in wins over Sidney Crosby-less Pittsburgh and a struggling Blackhawks squad. So coming from behind is nothing new for this group. But sometimes you run into a hot goaltender.