Sabres G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (1) -Timothy T. Ludwig/Imagn Images
Now that the Sabres won three straight games on their West Coast trip, they battled hard and were rewarded with a sweep of all three of their opponents.
The club’s current record of 11-9-1 moves them up to third place in the Atlantic Division and into the second wild-card spot for the playoffs.
How They Beat Opponents in West Coast Trip
Game 1 – Los Angeles Kings: 1-0 Win
The Sabres entered this game needing to play a complete 60 minutes while continuing to battle each game.
No one knew what to expect, as the Sabres looked tired in their 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Injuries to players at key positions didn’t help either, as starting netminder UPL was still out, and Tage Thompson had yet to return to the lineup.
Instead, the Sabres came up with one of their most impressive wins of the season. It was a 1-0 spirited performance against a talented Kings lineup led by Anze Kopitar.
UPL’s Play in Goal
UPL was back in the house, Sabres fans. Star goaltender Ukko-Pekka-Luukkonen, or as they call him, “Upie,” came back after missing the last two matchups with an undisclosed injury.
It was his first game back since Devon Levi was called down to the Rochester Americans of the AHL, and “Upie” didn’t disappoint.
The Finnish goaltender made 23 saves on 23 shots and recorded his sixth career shutout.
Additionally, he is starting to find his sweet spot. Besides a poor game versus the Montreal Canadiens, he hasn’t permitted more than two goals in his previous six starts.
Perfect Effort by the Penalty Kill
One area the Sabres have struggled with is taking too many penalties and not killing enough power plays.
That changed Wednesday night, as the Sabres were a perfect 5-5 on the penalty kill despite averaging five penalties a game.
The PK served as “Upie’s” backup goaltender, and together, they worked well, like those Progressive backup NFL commercials.
Game 2 – Anaheim Ducks: 3-2 Win in Overtime
While the Sabres are starting to learn what it takes to win, they have also been competing their skates off, clawing their way back into games they were sure to lose.
The Offense Took Charge
It was a struggle for the team, as the Sabres did not score a goal for almost two periods.
Even with controlling the number of shots taken, the offense dipped.
But they never gave up, as Jason Zucker and Alex Tuch came through for the squad and tied the game at 2-all.
After the Sabres tied the game at 2, Jiri Kulich netted the game-winner in overtime with a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over the Ducks.
This is one of those games the Sabres needed to chase to become a quality team in today’s NHL.
We already know they’re young and talented, and they need to continue building the championship culture set by GM Kevyn Adams.
Backup Goalie Gets His Chance in Nets
Game 3 – San Jose Sharks: 4-2 Win
In the final game of the West Coast trip, backup goaltender James Reimer started the second leg of the back-back game. The veteran showed why he played on six teams for 15 long NHL seasons.
The veteran netminder made 31 saves on 33 shots and kept the Sabres in the game down 2-1, eventually giving them a chance to pull out the game late in the third period.
With the game knotted at two and the San Jose Sharks on the power play, Tuch scored the game-winning short-handed goal (his third of the season).
Captain Rasmus Dahlin scored an empty netter to put the final West Coast game away 4-2.
After Reimer picked up his first win, he congratulated the young team on its constant will to win and mature as a group with many good players.
“I think it’s maturity,” Reimer said. “It’s understanding and being aware of the game and what’s in front of you. Just locking it down when you need to lock it down. Blocking shots, getting pucks deep. It’s a million things, but it comes down to being mature with the puck.”
“This team, we’ve got a ton of talent and we compete hard. We’ve got a lot of will to win in here. We’ve got a lot of good qualities and, as we grow as a team, we’re going to get better and better as we mature.”
With the Sabres having one of the youngest teams in the league, let’s see if they can continue to work hard and bring in some more key victories to finish the season strong.
