Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen After 5th Shutout | Buffalo Sabres
UK peka Lucan and now 82 and one in his last 11 games and he’s joining us here UK congratulations I I know you have a lot of work left a lot of big games left of course but how significant is two and0 so far in this really big three-
Game week for you guys yeah it’s it’s huge of course and um you know overall I think how well we have played that’s the kind of bigger thing you know if you try to look even you know the wins are the most important thing but overall the
Game has been really really good and we haven’t really given the you know other team and chance you know even get to the game so um you know overall it’s been really good obviously the number one job that you have is to stop the puck but I
Have really enjoyed you playing the puck and I I feel like it’s getting better and better and it’s a huge part of your game so how do you assess the communication with the defense the puck playing that you have and uh and the the confidence that you have going out there
And playing the puck behind the net yeah it’s a it’s a confidence thing um you know I think we’ve been playing really well and you know personally my my game has been good so you know there’s confidence to go behind the net to play those pucks and um yeah I think the
Defense and you know um me we talk a lot we want to make the play and we’ve been getting better at it once the year has been going on and I think overall the team plays better so you know me and the defense the chemistry is there so you
Know I think we the plays we are making are working better now you’re having an amazing run since the first of the year I think it’s 23 starts in the last 28 13 in the last 14 your goals against your safe percentage I don’t know if if you
Check your numbers at all but they’re all really good can you just talk I mean we’ve heard of zie goalies get hot maybe get in the zone for a week two weeks whatever you’re in like the third month of the Zone what’s that like no it’s
Great and uh you know I I try to keep away from that stuff uh I always talk about you know how um you know you kind of want to go one game at a time as a team and as a player and it’s been working uh and I think you be you know
We’ve been looking that whole thing and the whole you know since the year year turned we kind of started to look things a little bit differently and you know there was nothing to lose at that point and um you know it just helps how how
Well we play as a team and um in the end it’s as I said it’s every every game on its own you don’t want to think too much uh behind or too much uh ahead yeah and and you know you got to give credit to the guys in front of you and that
Defense group but one guy that maybe we don’t talk about as much as Conor Clifton he had that big hit on the wall and Ang ball and then Andre Lee comes after him and he drops the gloves and Lee is a big man how important has
Clifton been to the group of six and when he delivers a big hit like that what does it make you feel like in the crease when that Collision happens yeah he’s been a huge part of it um he he plays so fearlessly uh I feel like he doesn’t he doesn’t fear anything he
Doesn’t fear to go in front of the puck or go to the corner hit a guy so it’s been huge for us um you know he he doesn’t back or take you know steps back against anybody so he’s been huge for us and he’s been you know really really
Really good and you know kind of finding his uh game game too I feel like he’s producing more offense too and kind of um been really good all over the ice last thing for you I I’m sure you guys are well aware of the standings I don’t
Know if you’ve had a chance to see what happened tonight but if you haven’t the Red Wings lost the lightning won but your three points back to the Islanders in that number two wild card spot UK what what else do you guys need to do to
Try and close down that Gap and get into one of those spots you know I I always go back to the same thing that it’s one game at a time there’s nothing else to think about really right now you know it’s once you kind of lose the
Lose the sight of or like um you know the next game and start to think too far ahead you you you really don’t do any favors for yourselves you know and uh I think it’s it’s just kind of you know knowing what we’ve been doing right and
Trusting that um you know I don’t think we need to change much it’s just kind of trying to keep going what we’re doing right now and I think that’s the biggest thing well congratulations to you on the the shut out the most by a Sabers goalie
In a single season since Ryan Miller and more important congratulations on the win and thanks for joining us thank you
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen joined the Postgame Show following the team’s 4-0 win over the New York Islanders on March 14, 2024 at KeyBank Center. Topics include: the team’s recent winning streak, the push for a wild card playoff spot, his shutout tonight, and more.
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7 Comments
I remember how 80% of Sabre fandom wanted to rid the team of this guy for some magic beans. I always had faith in this guy and to all those fans: Pack sand, Muthafckas!
UPL is a legit #1
Such a different team with Okposo gone. Addition by subtraction.
He’s now in the Vezina conversation. Will her win it? Hell no, but he’s definitely one of the hottest goalies int the NHL right now and if he keeps it up he will be at the NHL awards this year as a finalist. Not gonna lie i actually wanted him gone but now? He’s really stepped up his game.
What happened to Duffer? Out sick?
Love seeing Howard!!!
Sabres would be in better shape right now if they had UPL play at the beginning of the season than try to shove Levi in the starting position