Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Sabres blank Blackhawks

[January 19, 2024]  Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen collected his second straight shutout and the Buffalo Sabres won consecutive home games for the first time this season with a 3-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.
 
Zemgus Girgensons, J.J. Peterka and Rasmus Dahlin scored for the Sabres in the game that was postponed one day due to the snowstorm in Buffalo. 

Jan 18, 2024; Buffalo, New York, USA; Chicago Blackhawks left wing Zach Sanford (13) looks to play the puck as Buffalo Sabres defenseman Ryan Johnson (33) defends during the first period at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Luukkonen made 19 saves to record his third career shutout, all coming this season. Ryan Johnson collected two assists as the Sabres have won three of four games and five of seven outings.

Having controlled play for the bulk of the game to that point, Girgensons finally cracked the scoreless deadlock at 12:27 of the second period with his fourth goal of the season. Girgensons was parked at the front of the net and deflected Johnson's long shot.

Peterka doubled the lead at 2:57 of the third period. From the corner of the rink, Peterka ripped a shot from below the goal line and banked his offering off Arvid Soderblom's mask and into the net for his 14th of the campaign.

Dahlin's power-play goal at 6:06 or the final frame during a major penalty assessed to Philipp Kurashev for boarding Erik Johnson made it a 3-0 affair. His point shot ricocheted off a defender's stick and into the net for his 13th goal of the campaign, tops among all NHL defensemen.

That was more than enough offense against a Chicago team that has scored one or fewer goals in regulation time in five consecutive games, and eight of its last 10.

Soderblom stopped 28 shots for the Blackhawks, who have only two victories in their last 11 games and were looking to win consecutive games for only the second time this season.

The Blackhawks are 4-19-1 on the road, where they've been outscored 74-27 during an 0-15-1 skid since beating the Lightning in Tampa Bay on Nov. 9.

--Field Level Media

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