LAS VEGAS — The Buffalo Sabres began a daunting gauntlet of four games in six nights on Tuesday, and they had to do it shorthanded. Top-line winger Alex Tuch was a late scratch due to illness, forcing Tyson Kozak into the lineup and shuffling the deck for head coach Lindy Ruff. With Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen facing off against Adin Hill—and Ellis dressed as the backup—the Sabres needed a perfect defensive road game. They got exactly that. Luukkonen turned aside all 27 shots he faced, earning his first shutout of the campaign in a gritty 2-0 victory over the Golden Knights.
1st Period: Doan Capitalizes on Hill Miscue to Strike First
Buffalo set the tone early as Lindy Ruff opted to start the fourth line of Sam Carrick, Tyson Kozak, and Beck Malenstyn. After winning the opening faceoff, the Sabres hit an early snag when Owen Power was whistled for a hooking minor just minutes into the frame. The penalty kill stood tall, however, neutralizing the Golden Knights’ attack and keeping the game scoreless. Buffalo found some life later in the period when Zach Benson’s drew a penalty with 6:52 remaining. While the Sabres didn’t convert on the man advantage, the second unit looked dangerous, specifically with Jack Quinn generating a high-danger chance from the bumper spot.
Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was forced to make several high-quality saves to weather a late Vegas surge. The scoreless tie finally broke late in the frame thanks to a gift from Vegas netminder Adin Hill. Hill mishandled the puck behind his own net, and Josh Doan was there to collect the turnover, banking the puck off Hill and into the net for his 22nd goal of the year. Despite being outshot 12-10 and struggling at the faceoff dot (winning just 42.1% of draws), Buffalo headed into the tunnel with a hard-earned 1-0 lead.
2nd Period: UPL Stands Tall as Special Teams Take Center Stage
Tage Thompson didn’t wait long to make his presence felt in the middle frame, drawing a high-sticking minor from Brayden McNabb just sixty seconds in. Buffalo’s power play struggled to find its rhythm, however, failing to capitalize on the early man-advantage and keep the momentum rolling. The tide turned midway through the period when Bowen Byram was whistled for a cross-check on Tomas Hertl, but the Sabres’ penalty kill—and specifically Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen—proved up to the task. UPL turned aside a barrage of Vegas looks during the two-minute disadvantage, including a couple of point-blank stops that kept the Sabres out front.
By the end of the second, the ice had completely leveled out with both sides sitting at 19 shots apiece. Buffalo held a narrow 9-8 edge in shots during the period, but they struggled to penetrate a Vegas defense that racked up 10 blocked shots through 40 minutes. While the Golden Knights continued to hold the upper hand at the faceoff dot (53.8%), Luukkonen’s steady hand between the pipes ensured the one-goal lead remained intact heading into the final frame.
3rd Period: Tempers Flare as Sabres Lock Down the Desert
The final frame began with some controversy just under four minutes in, when Sam Carrick was whistled for a boarding minor on Rasmus Andersson. It was a tough break for Carrick; Andersson appeared to be losing his footing as the check was being finished, but the officials didn’t see it that way. Buffalo’s penalty kill was forced back to work, but once again, the unit—anchored by a locked-in Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen—stifled the Vegas power play to keep the lead intact.
The physical play reached a boiling point midway through the period when Brayden McNabb caught Zach Benson with a heavy, dangerous-looking check that sparked an immediate scrum. The officials took a long look at the play to determine if it warranted a major penalty, but ultimately ruled the hit clean, resulting in two minutes of 4-on-4 hockey.
Vegas pulled Adin Hill late for the extra attacker, but the Sabres’ defensive structure held firm. With less than a minute remaining, Peyton Krebs and Mattias Samuelsson worked the puck out of the zone to Josh Norris, who buried the empty-netter to seal a 2-0 victory. It was Norris’ 10th of the campaign and the final dagger in a gritty road win.
The Three Stars of the Game
- ⭐ Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (BUF): A 27-save shutout. UPL was the calmest person in the building, especially during a frantic second-period penalty kill that could have easily swung the momentum.
- ⭐⭐ Josh Doan (BUF): Right place, right time, and a high-IQ play to bank the puck off Adin Hill. His 22nd goal of the year proved to be all the Sabres needed.
- ⭐⭐⭐ Adin Hill (VGK): Aside from the late-first-period gaffe, Hill was the only reason this wasn’t 3-0 or 4-0 much earlier. He kept a desperate Vegas team in it until the final horn.
What’s Next
The Sabres won’t have much time to celebrate this one. They’ll head to the Bay Area for the second stop of their current four-game road trip.
- Opponent: San Jose Sharks
- Date: Thursday, March 19th
- Time: 10:00 PM EST
- Location: SAP Center – San Jose, CA
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