The Buffalo Sabres will have to navigate a pivotal matchup against the St. Louis Blues without the services of two of their most important players. Head coach Lindy Ruff delivered the news on Wednesday that leading scorer Tage Thompson and starting netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will both be sidelined for Thursday night’s tilt at KeyBank Center.
Tage Thompson’s Untimely Absence
Thompson, whose 11 goals this season trail only Connor McDavid’s dozen for the league lead, suffered a lower-body injury during Monday’s wild 7-5 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. The 24-year-old center has been a revelation for Buffalo, building off last season’s breakout 38-goal campaign to establish himself as one of the NHL’s most lethal snipers.
According to a source close to the team, Thompson is considered day-to-day and could return as soon as Saturday when the Sabres visit the Philadelphia Flyers. His dynamic presence will undoubtedly be missed against a stingy Blues defense.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen Also Out
Compounding matters for Buffalo is the unavailability of Luukkonen, who Ruff described as dealing with a “minor ailment.” The towering Finnish goaltender has been solid if unspectacular in his first full NHL season, posting a 7-5-1 record with a 2.83 goals-against average and .911 save percentage.
“Uppy’s been a real steadying presence for us back there,” noted a teammate. “Hopefully it’s nothing serious and he’s right back out there this weekend.”
Devon Levi to Make NHL Debut
With Luukkonen out of commission, the Sabres are expected to turn to highly-touted prospect Devon Levi for his first career NHL start. The 21-year-old has been sensational in his rookie professional season with Rochester of the AHL, leading the league in both GAA (1.89) and save percentage (.939).
“Dev’s more than earned this opportunity,” Ruff said, flashing a confident grin. “He was lights-out in college and he’s picked up right where he left off in Rochester. I know the guys will rally around him.”
James Reimer Joins Buffalo via Waivers
Levi will be backed up by veteran James Reimer, who was claimed off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday. The 34-year-old posted a 6-11-2 record with a 3.98 GAA and .893 save percentage in 19 games with the Ducks.
“We have to look at this as an opportunity for other guys to step up and show what they can do,” forward Jeff Skinner remarked. “Tommer and Uppy are obviously massive parts of this team, but we have more than enough in this room to go out there and get two points tomorrow.”
The Sabres enter Thursday’s matchup having dropped four straight to settle back to .500 on the season at 10-10-1. However, they still occupy the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Blues sit three points back at 9-12-0 and in desperate need of a victory.
Buffalo will need significant contributions from throughout its lineup to overcome the absences of Thompson and Luukkonen as they aim to fend off St. Louis and snap their losing skid.
“We still believe in this group,” said alternate captain Kyle Okposo. “We’ve faced our share of adversity already and we’ve shown that we have the resilience to bounce back. We have a chance tomorrow to prove that again. The mentality in here is that there’s no excuses.”
