Buffalo Sabres’ Luukkonen makes 40 saves, leads team to victory in Pittsburgh

Luukkonen started strong for the Sabres in a game that had its fair share of peculiarities. The Penguins had two goals overturned by coach’s challenges, and a two-minute 5-on-3 advantage was given to them in the third period. Tuch scored the first goal for the Sabres just under three minutes into the game. The Penguins thought they had tied the game twice in the first period, but both goals were overturned due to successful challenges from the Sabres. One was due to an offside entry and the other due to goaltender interference.

Finally, Rickard Rakell managed to score the tying goal with only eight seconds left on Pittsburgh’s 5-on-3 power play. This power play resulted from penalties against Zemgus Girgensons and Connor Clifton. However, Girgensons came through by burying a rebound and securing the winning goal with 4:38 remaining. Rasmus Dahlin added insurance for the Sabres by shooting the puck from his own zone into an empty net.

This victory marked the second consecutive win for the Sabres, who now have a six-game homestand ahead of them. Sabres coach Don Granato expressed his thoughts on the game, describing it as “crazy” with lots of events. He emphasized the importance of mentality, saying that they had lacked swagger and played with fear in previous weeks. However, in this game, they were able to block out the distractions and play with confidence and fearlessness. Granato praised Luukkonen for his mental toughness and highlighted the team’s need for more of that toughness going forward.