UPL's 'great effort' an encouraging sign for Sabres: Takeaways from 4-0 loss
Of all the mistakes made by the Sabres throughout the 4-0 loss, none angered Lindy Ruff more than failing to help Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen on the fourth goal.
No one was within several feet of Nicholas Robertson when the Toronto Maple Leafs winger received the puck in the slot.
Robertson stickhandled twice, moved the puck to his backhand, then lifted a shot over Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen as the Buffalo Sabres’ goalie tried to prevent the score from getting uglier while a crowd filled with Toronto fans roared Tuesday night in KeyBank Center.
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (1) lays in the crease as Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (34) celebrates a goal
by Mitch Marner during the third period at the KeyBank Center on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News)
Of all the mistakes made by the Sabres throughout the 4-0 loss, none angered Lindy Ruff more than the lackluster effort that allowed Robertson to score with 1:17 remaining in the third period.
“I hated the fourth goal because he gave us a good game,” the Sabres coach said of Luukkonen's 28-save effort against the Maple Leafs. “That goal (ticked) me off.”
Connor Clifton allowed the puck to get by him on the right wall, Jacob Bryson vacated the middle of the ice to help his fellow defenseman and none of the Sabres’ forwards were prepared to cover Robertson when Pontus Holmberg made a quick pass to send him in alone.
The series of mistakes happened 35 seconds after Auston Matthews shot the puck into the empty net for his 400th career goal and the Maple Leafs’ third of the game. They clinched first place in the Atlantic Division, the Eastern Conference’s second seed in the playoffs and the franchise’s first 25-win road record. Luukkonen gave the Sabres a chance to spoil the night for all the Toronto fans who made the drive from Ontario.
"Great effort," said Ruff. "It looked like he was dialed in and played really well."
Luukkonen made 32 saves in a shootout loss Saturday against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, but he was chosen to start their second-to-last game because he needs a confidence-boosting finish to his first season as the Sabres’ No. 1 goalie. He’s endured many more difficult nights than he did a year ago when he earned the crease and a five-year contract extension.
Luukkonen allowed 4.11 goals-against average and posted an .848 save percentage in 10 march appearances. His technique and confidence withered as his teammates kept turning the puck over while playing lackluster defense in front of him, but there were also games and moments in which Luukkonen didn’t make momentum-changing saves. His inconsistency raised questions about the Sabres’ plan for the position next season, especially as his backup, James Reimer, won seven starts in a row.
“It was great,” Sabres winger Jason Zucker said of Luukkonen’s performance against Toronto. “He was obviously a big piece – I thought he played well for a lot of the year, to be honest. Tonight was a really good game by him. That was on us, not anywhere near him.”
There was only one concerning moment from Luukkonen. He got caught out of position while trying to take the inside post away from John Tavares, then scrambled back into the Sabres’ net to stop Max Domi’s shot from the slot.
Luukkonen settled in, though, and began to look as poised as he did in his best games this season. He had the net covered during a 3-on-2 rush, corralled Bobby McMann’s deflection that changed the direction of the puck and bailed out the Sabres several times when their turnovers gave Toronto’s top line opportunities to shoot from in front.
It was enough to keep the score 0-0 until Steve Lorentz snapped a one-timer over Luukkonen’s right shoulder with 5:45 left in the second period, and Buffalo’s goalie used his glove to stop William Nylander on a breakaway early in the third. Luukkonen credited the Sabres’ recent improvement in the defensive zone for his recent improvement. He has a .906 save percentage in his last three starts. But he also took ownership of his role in the Sabres’ struggles. They are 35-39-7 with one game remaining and rank 29th in goals allowed per game.
“I don’t want to hide behind the fact that the team’s game hasn’t been where we want it,” said Luukkonen. “I’ve got to be better too, and I feel like that’s what helps me through those moments is to focus on my own game, knowing that I have to be better instead of finding the excuses somewhere else. We’re not going to play perfect every night, so it’s about focusing on your (side of the game). During those stretches, I have to be better.”
Anthony Stolarz was perfect for the Maple Leafs. The 31-year-old goalie made 35 saves, including 13 in the third period and five during the Sabres’ two failed power plays. He kept their 11 high-danger scoring chances out of Toronto’s net, while his teammates finally took advantage of Buffalo’s mistakes to pull away for the division-clinching win.
Luukkonen stopped the Leafs during a 2-on-1 rush, only to watch as Matthews sent a pass to Marner for a backdoor tap-in goal that made it 2-0 late in the third period. The mistakes were the latest example of the challenge facing the Sabres’ goalies and served as a reminder that their team defense has to be fixed if the playoff drought is going to end next spring.
"The game in front is more predictable than when we had the tough stretch going,” said Luukkonen. “I have to be better too, but we’ve been playing better hockey now and it’s easy to play behind.”
Here are other takeaways from the game:
1. Leading forward
Jiri Kulich may have been the Sabres’ best forward against the Maple Leafs.The 21-year-old rookie had four shots on goal and hit the post while a crowd surrounded Stolarz before Matthews’ empty-net goal. Buffalo had 59% of the shot attempts and 59.8% of the expected-goal share at 5 on 5 when Kulich was on the ice, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, JJ Peterka and Rasmus Dahlin also had four shots on goal apiece, while Zucker led the team with five.
2. Special teams
Quietly, the Sabres’ power play has been much better since early March.They scored seven goals in 21 opportunities over their previous nine games entering Tuesday and ranked 12th in the NHL since March 1. JJ Peterka’s one-timer from the right circle was their best chance during a second-period power play that unraveled as soon as the second unit took the ice.
Jack Quinn and Ryan McLeod turned the puck over before Quinn took a holding penalty. The second group doesn’t get as much ice time as the first and Owen Power’s absence didn’t help, but it needs to improve for next season. The Sabres have to find a way to use Kulich’s shot on the right flank.
3. Strong impression
A fourth-line assignment isn’t ideal for a first-round pick like Noah Ostlund, and he learned his first series of harsh lessons in the NHL.Maple Leafs center Scott Laughton fought through Ostlund’s check behind the Sabres’ net, then set up Lorentz with a backhand pass for the first goal. Ostlund couldn’t get back in time to help prevent Robertson’s goal, though the defensemen allowed that to become a dangerous scoring chance.