Luukkonen, Sabres blank Sharks, 3-0 Sharks 14th of last 15

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In Buffalo, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 27 saves, and the Sabres shout out the visiting San Jose Sharks, 3-0 on Monday afternoon.

“I talked about how well we’ve been playing as a team, and that gives me confidence, too,” Luukkonen said. “I mean, I think that’s a key as a goalie, when you have confidence and you feel good in the net, that kind of boosts your own game, too. Just I feel like getting a couple good starts in a row helps a lot, too. Getting trust from your coaching staff, too. It’s all those things that kind of combine and give me confidence to play.”

The Sabres improved to 19-21-4.

“Any time you get the first goal, it’s going to be big, especially against a team that’s been struggling, and maybe gives you some momentum [to] keep going,” the Sabres’ Casey  Mittelstadt said. “[Luukkonen] once again played great and just battling back there and making big saves for us, fun to watch and, yeah, he deserves it, he’s a warrior for sure.”

Following a scoreless opening stanza, Mittelstadt potted a marker at 11:34 of the middle frame for a all the offense Luukkonen  would need in a 1-0 advantage.

“Honestly, I’m not really aiming there, just trying to get it through,” Mittelstadt said. “I still don’t know where it went in. ‘Okie’ did a great job. He gave me so much room there, he dropped it to me and then drove the [defense] all the way back, gave me enough room to make that toe-drag and the shot. Just trying to get it through, lots of traffic, and glad to see that one go in.”

Buffalo’s Alex Tuch pushed the lead to 2-0 at 14:37  of the second.

“We didn’t react quick enough, and they found a way to get that one through,” the Sharks’ Luke Kunin said.

The Sharks dropped to 10-31-3.

“I don’t think anybody’s thinking about losing streaks,” Sharks coach David Quinn said. “We’re thinking about getting some rest, getting to Chicago (to play the Blackhawks on Tuesday), and getting ready to play tomorrow night. You can’t play in this League that way, thinking that way. Obviously we’ve had two long ones (5-4 last-second loss to Ottawa Senators on Saturday) but I don’t think anybody’s thinking of that. You’ve just got to live in the moment and prepare to play again tomorrow night.”

Jordan Greenway hit an empty net at 16:34 for the 3-0 final count on the scoreboard.

Kaapo Kahkonen made 32 saves in the loss.Jordan Greenway scored an empty-net goal at 16:34 for the 3-0 final.

“We have to just put more shots and with the power play, too, we just have to get pucks to the net, guys around the net they get the rebounds,” San Jose’s Tomas Hertl said. “It feels like we expected tap-in goals and when they’re coming for you, that’s the only goal you will score. You just have to get around the net, screen the goalie and get the rebounds because nobody will just hand it to us. It’s on us forwards, we have to just be more hungry and wanting to score.”