Shutdown Pair

Tag: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

  • Game Seven

    Game Seven

    I’m still sweating, and I watched it sitting in my chair at home.

    They did this in the second finally

    — TheTickMS (@thetickms.bsky.social) 2026-05-17T02:02:19.842Z

    And it continued on in the third, for a EIGHT TO THREE WIN. It started like pretty much every other game this series, with a quick goal by Buffalo (Rasmus Dahlin with a nifty drive the net after being fed by new first-liner Benson)…followed by three Canadiens goals including a shorty.

    However, old man Zucker got one back late in the first after Alex Lyon got chased (the three Montreal goals were scored on gettable shots), and the entire second period was played in the Habs end. Zach Benson tied the game, picking up a loose puck that slipped through the five hole of Dobeš. Konsta Helenius scored to make it 5-3 Buffalo after some hard work by Zucker (and a sharp pass).

    The scoring continued in the third, with Tage Thompson feeding Jack Quinn for a one-timer snipe that chased the Montreal goalie. Tage followed that with an empty-netter, and Zach Metsa (who was great in his first-ever playoff game) got the eighth goal on a late power play when the team was just trying to run out the clock.

    The rough stuff started after that, with Montreal having no answers for the Sabres in regular play. Arber Xhekaj, Alexandre Carrier, Jake Evans, and Kirby Dach all got misconducts (Xhekaj has been pissed at Greenway since game 2 warmups) while Benson, Krebs, and Norris got to hit the showers early on the Buffalo side.

    Game seven is Monday night. One game to keep a remarkable run going.

    Zach Benson hyping up the boys for the third

    — TheTickMS (@thetickms.bsky.social) 2026-05-17T02:09:38.695Z
  • Deep Breaths

    Deep Breaths

    Sabres lose the second game of the series 4-2. And it wasn’t really that close. Listen, was that game hard to watch? Absolutely. The playoffs aren’t over, though. A lot of hockey left to play.

    I alluded to the fact that stuff like this used to drive me crazy, even to the point that it would make me grumpy to my family and co-workers. I’ve worked on myself a lot to get past that, but games like this really show you how this can happen. It’s the *way* that they lost. 0 for a century on the power play. Absolutely no juice from any of the star players. The best D-man for the first 50 minutes was Logan Stanley for crying out loud. It’s enough to turn you into the Joker.

    Looking at the lineup, there’s a lot of changes that can be made. Alex Lyon was solid in relief of UPL after he gave up the fourth goal, so it wouldn’t shock me if he got a start. They mostly alternated starts in the second half of the season anyway. Guys like Metsa or Schenn are in the mix, Carrick could be back in soon, Noah Ostlund is back at practice. They weren’t going to win 16 straight games for the Stanley Cup. The response in the first 10 minutes of the game in Boston tells the tale.

  • We Hate Boston, But WHY?

    We Hate Boston, But WHY?

    So, we know who we’re playing in the playoffs…

    Bring me the still-beating heart of the Boston Bruins, Sabres.

    — TheTickMS (@thetickms.bsky.social) 2026-04-15T03:54:18.728Z

    …and the day (Sunday!) at the time of me writing this we still didn’t know when it starts. Never change, NHL. Anyway, when you’ve been a fan as long as I have (even with a lapse in there), you have reason to dislike almost every team in your conference. And division rivals? FORGET ABOUT IT, we fucking hate those guys. If you’re new to your fandom (and we welcome you!), you might not know WHY we hate the Boston Bruins. So here’s a few reasons. Let me know in the comments/on Bsky which ones I forgot because I’m old.

    1. Milan Lucic runs Ryan Miller

    For those of us watching since the 05-06 season, this incident is widely considered a massive turning point in the Sabres franchise. The failure to stand up for Ryan Miller as a group got the team labeled soft (rightly or wrongly) and affected personnel decisions for years to come.

    If you’ve never seen this chart before (reddit source), it shows the cumulative games above .500 for Buffalo. As you can see, the high point, the spot where the Sabres had been the furthest over .500 in franchise history…was one day before that Bruins game.

    2. Boychuk slashes Vanek

    Johnny Boychuk delivers a slash to Vanek’s knees, causing him to fall and smash into the boards. Buffalo’s leading scorer missed several games, only able to return for the last in the series.

    3. Brad Marchand

    He’s in Florida now, but from 2010 to 2025, Boston employed this grimy little rat bastard. Nearly 30% of his colleagues voted him the dirtiest player in the league.

    I assure you, this is only the *first* Marchand hit compilation I found, there are many more. You’ll note that he loves to go for knees (and nut shots). Dirtbag.

    Listen, no matter what happens, the Buffalo Sabres are BACK in a real way. Let’s enjoy it (and loudly boo every Bruin who even LOOKS at UPL).

  • Sabres Survive Islanders

    Sabres Survive Islanders

    The Islanders score a late goal to pull within one after giving up an empty-netter, but don’t have enough to beat the Sabres in regulation. Buffalo gets goals from Jack Quinn, Tage Thompson, Peyton Krebs (pictured) and a 198 footer from Bowen Byram into the empty net. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made some dynamite saves, and one of the Islander goals came on a bad angle shot that went in off of Owen Power.

    One worrying injury as Sam Carrick left the game after a fight with Anders Lee. Carrick was thrown down to the ice and immediately clutched his arm/shoulder. He was stepping up to get some payback on Lee after the Islander knocked Norris into the boards, but may have paid the price. Hopefully he’s okay, and Buffalo does have the depth if he’s out for a bit.

    It wasn’t 100% back to form but I felt like this was a much better game from the Sabres. They were right on the Isles forwards in the defensive zone and were constant pests on the forecheck. They didn’t make a *ton* of mistakes playing the puck, which was the issue during the losses they had recently. Even when it was tied, I never thought they’d lose.

    One. Hundred. Points. Hell yeah. Buffalo’s back in action Thursday night in Ottawa taking on the Senators.