Buffalo's Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen hits the ice for practice after his injury scare, eyeing a bounce-back for Wednesday's key matchup. The Sabres netminder anchors their crease like few young goalies can, and his timely return stabilizes a blue line that's leaned hard on him. With playoff positioning tight in the Atlantic, Luukkonen's mask stays in net sooner than expected.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen shakes off the Olympic-ending injury to lock in on Buffalo's wildcard fight. The Sabres netminder, who's battled for every start behind a young core, channels frustration into crease dominance for the stretch drive. With Devon Levi waiting in the wings, Luukkonen's rebound defines whether Buffalo crashes the postseason party.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen suits up for practice with the Sabres, a sight that's got Buffalo's locker room buzzing after his nagging injury sidelined the young netminder. Coaches kept him out cautiously, knowing how thin that goaltending depth chart runs when your top guy goes down. Everyone in the front office remembers the scramble last time, and with the standings tight, his return ramps up the pressure to stabilize that crease before the push.

Buffalo's young center Jiri Kulich skates under restrictions from that scary blood clot sidelining him since November, with his next evaluation looming in early March to gauge if he ramps up for the stretch drive. Coach Lindy Ruff eyes conditioning amid no-trade clauses kicking in for guys like Jordan Greenway, Josh Norris, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, giving GM Jarmo Kekalainen some offseason chess moves while the deadline pressure mounts for offense.

Finland's Olympic title defense carries a different weight this time around, loaded with NHL firepower that shifts expectations in Milan. With Barkov sidelined by injury, Granlund steps up as captain while Heiskanen anchors a massive blue line, blending vets and young guns like Kakko and Lundell. Korpisalo slides in for the injured Luukkonen, giving them a Bruins backbone between the pipes. The Finns always punch above, but this roster tests if NHL depth turns pressure into gold-medal fuel.

Buffalo's Rasmus Dahlin anchors Sweden's blue line with Victor Hedman, while Tage Thompson brings his sniper touch to Team USA's forward group alongside Jack Eichel and the Tkachuk brothers. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, initially tabbed for Finland, sits out with a lower-body tweak that front offices hate seeing this close to puck drop. These Sabres reps highlight how the NHL's Olympic return spotlights franchise cornerstones chasing gold in Milan-Cortina, with every shift carrying weight back home.