By JOHN WAWROW AP Hockey Writer
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Coming off a shutout victory over Edmonton in interim coach Jim Hiller’s debut on Saturday night, the Kings fell back into the inconsistencies that led to the team firing Todd McLellan.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 33 shots for his fourth career shutout and Jordan Greenway scored twice and added an assist to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 7-0 rout of the Kings on Tuesday night, dropping the visitors to 4-9-6 in their past 19 games.
Rasmus Dahlin, JJ Peterka and Alex Tuch had a goal and assist apiece to help the Sabres snap a three-game home skid in which they combined to score three times. Kyle Okposo and Zach Benson also scored in an outing the slow-starting Sabres flipped the script by scoring the opening goal for the first time in eight outings, and holding a lead after 20 minutes for the first time in 11.
The seven goals were the most by Buffalo since a 9-3 victory over Toronto on Dec. 21.
Luukkonen’s best stop came during a Kings power-play chance with 4 minutes left in the second period, when he lunged to his left to stop Adrian Kempe’s one-timer from the right circle.
The shutout was Luukkonen’s fourth this season, the most in one year by a Sabres goalie since Ryan Miller had six in 2011-12.
The Kings were flat and sloppy through most of an outing in which they provided little support for goalie David Rittich, who finished with 12 saves. The seven goals allowed were a season-worst for the Kings, who entered the day having allowed 127 goals, the second-fewest in the NHL. It was the most goals they had given up since a 9-8 overtime loss to Seattle on Nov. 29, 2022.
Peterka opened the scoring 4:25 in when his initial shot from the slot was stopped by Rittich, but the puck leaked out behind the goalie. Peterka circled the net and swept in his own rebound.
Greenway scored 12 minutes later by intercepting Drew Doughty’s ill-advised pass through the middle of his own zone. Okposo scored a…
Read the full article here
