Sabres look to get back in win column in Vancouver

(WGR Sports Radio 550) – The Buffalo Sabres started their four-game Western Conference road trip on Monday with a very sub-par effort in Seattle, losing to the Kraken, 6-4.

The venue changes on Tuesday, as Buffalo will face a Canucks team in Vancouver that beat the Sabres in overtime back in late November.

That was a game where the Sabres took a 1-0 lead, only to fall behind, 3-1. Dylan Cozens and Alex Tuch scored 1:39 apart in the third period to tie it, but Quinn Hughes showed why he’s an elite defenseman.

The Canucks captain stickhandled around the Sabres’ zone until Conor Garland found himself alone with an empty net staring him in the face to win it. Garland was so wide-open and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was so far away, the Canucks forward had time to go down on one knee, stop the puck, put it on his backhand and slide it into the empty cage.

Buffalo had Jack Quinn, Bo Byram and JJ Peterka on the ice, but nobody could stop Hughes, and nobody covered Garland.

Since this is a back-to-back situation, Devon Levi was called up from the Rochester Americans to play on Monday. He was then sent back tot he American Hockey League on Tuesday.

Tyson Kozak was sent to the Amerks on Monday, which turned out to be a paper move, as he was recalled on Tuesday. At least if Kozak plays, you know you’re going to get a player who will compete in battles and do anything to try to win a hockey game.

The Sabres are 1-6-0 in the back end of back-to-back games this season.

Buffalo has solidified their hold on last place in the Eastern Conference with three losses in four games, and six losses in nine contests.

If there is any positive with this matchup is the Sabres are is 2-1-1 in their last four games in Vancouver.

Quinn scored on Monday, and has 10 points in his last nine road games.

Rasmus Dahlin has 15 points in his last 13 road contests.

Buffalo has given up 19 goals in four games, and a team that was supposed to improve defensively is 30th in the NHL with a goals-against average of 3.43.

Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said better play in the defensive zone was non-negotiable, but his players have done a lot of negotiating, refusing to play the way Ruff wants them to on many nights.

Ruff mentioned recently that Luukkonen has been going through some things injury-wise. It’s not known if it’s affected his play, but he’s nowhere near the goalie he was last season.

Last year, the more Luukkonen played, the better he got. This season, though, he’s played 10-of-12 games and hasn’t played well in many of them. He’s had nights where he’s given up six, five and four goals. He’s also had a shutout in there, along with a one-goal game and three two-goal games.

Overall this year, Luukkonen is 14-14-4 with a 3.02 goals-against average and an .896 save percentage. He’s let in 11 goals in his last three starts.

Tage Thompson is still Buffalo’s leading scorer with 20 goals and 18 assists for 38 points in 41 games.

Hughes is, far and away, Vancouver’s leading scorer with 50 points in 41 games.

The Canucks have had a lot of infighting this season, especially with J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson. Despite those two players severely underachieving, Vancouver is 16th in NHL points percentage at .556, and are just one point behind the Calgary Flames for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Pettersson has just 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 points in 39 games, and he’s reportedly told the Canucks he doesn’t want to be traded.

Miller is reportedly on the trading block with just eight goals and 23 assists for 31 points in 35 games. Starting in November, he left the team for 10 games, citing personal reasons.

Thatcher Demko is back in goal after missing the first half of the season due to injury. He returned on Dec. 10, and has played 10 games, going 3-3-3 with a 3.24 goals-against average and an .871 save percentage.

Kevin Lankinen never had much success playing for the Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators, but has sparkled in Demko’s absence. The 29-year-old native of Finland is 16-8-6 this season with a 2.63 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage.

Vancouver has lost 6-of-8 games, but many slumping teams this season have gotten well playing the Sabres.

Former Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers won’t play on Tuesday, as he’s been suspended by the NHL for three games for cross-checking Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard in the face.

Join Pat Malacaro and myself for pregame coverage on WGR starting at 9 p.m.