[The Buffalo News] Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen called his parents 30 minutes before he signed a 5-year contract with the Sabres in July. “It was one of the better moments of my career.” The Sabres’ starting goalie for the opener isn’t satisfied, though. My latest from Prague:
by seeldoger47
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> Health was holding back Luukkonen prior to last season, so the 6-foot-5 native of Finland overhauled his summer workout routines. He strengthened his lower body and core to better prepare him to start more games. Doing so also improved his technique in the crease and allowed him to make those athletic, highlight-reel saves that bailed out the Sabres on numerous occasions last season.
>“There were no major adjustments or anything per se last year,” Bales told The News. “It’s just he had a chance to play a lot, and he got comfortable. He prefers playing a lot, like most guys do, and you combine that with all the work he did off the ice and I think everything kind of came together for him last year. He came in great shape again and that was one of the biggest things with his improvement over the years here. He’s become a much stronger athlete, getting a better base built and having a good strong core so he could control his movements better.”