Luukkonen returned to practice Thursday as a full participant and still has some runway before the NHL schedule resumes next Wednesday in New Jersey – he expects to be ready to come off injured reserve.
Ellis and Alex Lyon combined for a .904 save percentage in five games in his absence, another stretch where Buffalo’s three-goalie roster proved useful, but the Sabres expect Luukkonen to play a major role in their playoff push. Starting with his Dec. 21 win in New Jersey, which Luukkonen called “a big thing” for his confidence, the sixth-year goalie went gone 7-2-1 with a .922 save percentage and 2.41 goals-against average before the injury. He allowed two goals or fewer in six of those 10 decisions.
“Obviously, he’s been a huge part of our team this year,” said forward Josh Doan. “When he’s on, he’s one of the best goalies in the league. We have a lot of trust in all of our goalies, but seeing him back on the ice is really nice.”
With Olympics off the table, Luukkonen continued rehabbing his injury while taking a mental break and seeing friends and family. Of course, he’s still been watching his fellow Finns – led by friend Juuse Saros in net – battle their way to the medal round. In Wednesday’s quarterfinal against Switzerland, Finland pulled off a late two-goal comeback before winning in overtime.
“That’s the Finnish for you; they’re never out. I’ve been in that situation in World Juniors, Under-18s, all that; you can never count us out,” Luukkonen said. “I’m really happy for them. I kind of knew that they were gonna pull through in that game.”