Granato’s Positive Update on Luukkonen After Loss to Panthers

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is considered day to day with a lower-body injury and has not been ruled out for the team’s next game on Saturday in Minnesota, coach Don Granato said following a 4-0 loss to the Florida Panthers at KeyBank Center on Thursday. Luukkonen, who leads the NHL with a .944 save percentage in 11 starts since the beginning of January, tested the injury during the team’s skate Thursday morning.

Though he completed the skate, the team held him out to give the injury a chance to heal in full. Granato is optimistic about Luukkonen’s chances of playing on Saturday.

Eric Comrie made his first NHL start since Dec. 5 in Luukkonen’s absence and stopped 27 of 30 shots. He held the Panthers to two goals for 58 minutes, after which Carter Verhaeghe added an empty-net goal with 1:33 remaining.

Ryan Lomberg scored on the power play with 12 seconds to play. The Sabres finished with a 45-30 advantage in shots but were unable to beat Panthers goalie Anthony Stolarz, whose shutout performance included 10 high-danger saves.

The loss concluded a four-game homestand for the Sabres, which started with losses to Dallas and St. Louis, followed by a 7-0 victory over Los Angeles. Florida opened the scoring 9:26 into the contest when Aleksandr Barkov found Verhaeghe alone in front for a goal.

Anton Lundell deflected a Matthew Tkachuk shot for Florida’s second goal during a delayed penalty with 2:44 remaining in the second period. Rasmus Dahlin led the Sabres with eight shots, followed by five from Tage Thompson and four apiece from Casey Mittelstadt, Kyle Okposo, and Connor Clifton.

Despite generating chances early, the Sabres went 0-for-2 on the power play. Florida’s strong play was acknowledged by Alex Tuch, who noted their smart and effective approach.

The Panthers’ ability to score first was seen as a significant factor by Granato. The Sabres will look to regroup and improve following the loss.