Despite losing his last contest, the Sabres will turn to Luukkonen between the pipes for the third straight game on Saturday. Luukkonen was excellent in a 2-1 losing effort to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, saving 28 of 38 shots (.933 SV%). The 24-year-old Luukkonen started the season as the third-string netminder for the Sabres but has deservedly earned his way into being the go-to guy between the pipes.
Matthew Phillips will replace Aube-Kubel in the Capitals' lineup on Thursday. Aube-Kubel played only 8:09 time-on-ice Tuesday while recording a -1 plus/minus and five hits.
Gilbert will join Matt Coronato and Cole Schwindt as healthy scratches for the Flames on Tuesday. Before the All-Star break, Gilbert played three of the last four games for the Flames, recording a -2 plus/minus, one shot, and four hits.
Luukkonen and the Sabres will return to the ice on Tuesday for their first game since the All-Star break. In his last outing, Luukkonen saved 23 of 25 shots in a 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks and has generally been the more relied-upon Sabres' netminder lately, starting seven of the last eight games (4-3-0). The Sabres are +144 home underdogs on Tuesday against the Dallas Stars, who have points in five straight games (4-0-1).
Quinn suffered the injury during Saturday's game in San Jose. The only initial update given by the team was that it was more serious than a day-to-day situation, and that was certainly accurate given the eight-week timeline announced today. Quinn was enjoying a nice start to his season after returning from an Achilles injury in mid-December, registering five goals and seven assists in 17 games. The timeline of his latest injury puts him on track to return around the end of March.
Benson will get the night off on Wednesday as the Sabres are set to play their second game in as many nights. Eric Robinson will draw into the lineup in his place.
Bryson will draw in for the injured Mattias Samuelsson (undisclosed). Bryson is yet to register a point in three games with the Sabres this season.
Samuelsson is considered day-to-day with the undisclosed injury. He'll be replaced by Jacob Bryson in the Sabres' lineup on Wednesday.
Levi will get his first chance back between the pipes for the Sabres since being recalled from Rochester (AHL) on Sunday. Levi's last outing came on January 9th, when he surrendered five goals on just 26 shots as Buffalo fell to the Kraken by a score of 5-2. Time will tell if the three appearances Levi made in the AHL helped him sort out his game, but the Sabres will be hoping their young netminder can improve on the .889 SV% he's posted across 19 NHL appearances this season. He draws a difficult assignment in his return with the Sabres being +160 underdogs in Los Angeles.
Byram will return to the Avalanche lineup on Wednesday for his first game since January 4th, an eight-game absence. Before his injury, Byram was amid a cold stretch, with only two points (1G / 1A) in his last 11 games.
A rested Luukkonen will return to the crease for the Sabres on Tuesday in their first game since Saturday. Luukkonen has allowed three or fewer goals in his last seven games (5-2-0), boasting a tremendous .948 SV% and two shutouts. The Sabres are coming off a 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning but are -165 road favourites in a favourable matchup against the Anaheim Ducks, who rank fourth-worst in the league offensively (2.50 GF / GP).
Bryson has spent most of his season as a healthy scratch for the Sabres or playing for the Rochester Americans (AHL), where he has three points (0G / 3A) in 10 games. In three games with the Sabres, he has two hits and six blocks while averaging 9:26 time-on-ice.
Levi has not started an NHL games since January 9th, so the Sabres sent him back to the AHL to get in some game action on Saturday. Levi allowed three goals on 17 shots in a 7-3 win for Rochester. He'll now accompany the team on their California road-trip, where he figures to start either Tuesday in Anaheim or Wednesday in Los Angeles. Levi is 8-7-2 with a 3.32 GAA and .889 SV% in 19 NHL appearances this season.