Devon Levi came into the Buffalo Sabres’ game against the Philadelphia Flyers ranked fourth from last in the NHL in goals saved above expected, according to MoneyPuck. Buffalo’s second-year goalie hasn’t found a groove, partly because his playing time has been erratic.
He started the Sabres’ second game of the season in Prague, a 3-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils. Then he played a week later and contributed to a 5-2 win over the Florida Panthers. He had an ugly 6-4 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets five days later and didn’t start another game for two weeks. He then lost to the New York Islanders and didn’t play again until Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen got hurt against the Montreal Canadiens 10 days later. This season, Levi is learning that one of the most important skills as a backup is being able to stay sharp even with long gaps between starts.
“I didn’t even realize that was a skill until this past stretch of games this last month,” Levi said Friday before the Sabres left for Philadelphia. “I’ve never been put in a situation like that. I’ve always been able to play and just kind of flow. This is my first experience with it, and I’ve learned a lot. It’s definitely different mentally. You have more time to think about things. It’s easy to get into that overthinking range. When you’re playing a lot, the challenge is it’s easy to get into that underthinking range. I’m just trying to stay in the middle, where I’m processing the game well, working on what I need to do but not going too far above and beyond where my returns are being limited. It’s just finding that sweet spot.”
Luukkonen’s injury opened the door for Levi to get consecutive starts for the first time this season. He helped Buffalo beat the St. Louis Blues 4-3 on Thursday and was in net again when the Sabres traveled to play the Flyers on Saturday night. Levi stopped 27 of 31 shots in a lopsided 5-2 loss that dropped the Sabres to 8-9-1. Of the four goals, two were on low-danger shots, according to Natural Stat Trick. His goals saved above expected were again negative.
Though Levi wasn’t sharp, he didn’t get a lot of help from his defense, either. The first goal Levi allowed came on the power play with a crowd of Flyers around the crease when Tyson Foerster jammed a loose puck into the net. The next goal was a one-timer from Travis Sanheim that Levi should have stopped. That’s a save the Sabres needed.
Scott Laughton controls the puck against Rasmus Dahlin in the second period. (Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)
In the second period, Levi got beat by a shot from the point that he never seemed to see after it got deflected. The fourth goal he allowed came on a two-on-none rush. This game was about more than goaltending. The Flyers had 16 high-danger chances, and the Sabres had four. That disparity was 6-0 in the first period alone. The Flyers were winning 50-50 battles for pucks throughout the early part of the game and built a lead the Sabres never pushed back on. The Flyers also blocked 26 shots, whereas the Sabres blocked only 12. Buffalo has had four chances to get above .500 this season and is 0-4 in those games.
The goalie conversation will be ongoing in Buffalo. Levi now has a 3.95 goals against average and an .870 save percentage, and the Sabres are 2-4 in his starts. Luukkonen should be ready to go when the Sabres play at the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday. Buffalo also claimed James Reimer off waivers this week.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said it’s not ideal to have three goalies, but the team is taking the situation day by day. With Reimer in the picture, the Sabres could send Levi to Rochester to get more games and gain some confidence, something that’s been missing from his game early in the season. But while Reimer is much more experienced than Levi, he has played two games this season with a 4.50 goals-against average and an .864 save percentage. He’s no sure thing, either.
Whatever the Sabres decide to do, Levi is still developing. Right now, he’s trying to do the bulk of that in practice. That’s been an adjustment. He’s taking advantage of being fresh by spending extra time on the ice. He’s trying to find small moments in practice that he can treat like a game. Ruff has praised Levi’s work ethic. But there are certain reads you can’t simulate.
“The traffic, the plays that happen in a game,” Levi said. “Also, in these practices, guys have more time to think more, and in games, it’s important to stay tight, which you don’t always get a lot of work on in practice. Guys aren’t always shooting. You’re not getting hit by many pucks. You don’t make those types of saves because guys have time. So I just try to stay technically tight and work on being tight when practice feels like it could open you up a bit. I’m just working on closing the holes and making sure I’m getting back into that mentality.”
This isn’t a cut-and-dried situation like it was last season when Levi was a rookie, got hurt early and struggled when he returned. Levi is likely the second-best option in net, and the team is trying to win now. He also has a season of AHL experience, which he didn’t have last year. But more time in Rochester wouldn’t hurt, either.
“Either way, you’re on the ice and getting better, whether it’s in Rochester or Buffalo,” Levi said. “Wherever it is, it’s an opportunity to learn and develop some mental strength, learn how to manage different situations. It’s still early in my career, so I know a lot of these lessons I’m learning now will help me going forward. I’m just trying to soak it in and gain experience.”
Here’s what else we noticed from the Sabres in their 5-2 loss.
The Captain from the blue line 🚨#LetsGoBuffalo | RYSE Energy Drink pic.twitter.com/d4EqAfVjnT
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) November 17, 2024
1. Buffalo was without Tage Thompson, Jordan Greenway and Luukkonen. Thompson and Luukkonen are expected to be back next week. Greenway left practice early Friday with what Ruff called a nagging injury. With Greenway out, the Sabres called up Jiri Kulich from Rochester. Kulich held his own. He had two shots on goal and wasn’t on the ice for a single goal against. But the Sabres will be eager to get back to full strength. They don’t have the depth to withstand a lengthy Thompson absence.
2. Ruff wasn’t pleased about the early penalties the Sabres took. The most glaring example was a cross-checking penalty from Connor Clifton that led to the first goal. Ruff has shown a willingness to hold players accountable by taking away ice time. That’s why Henri Jokiharju hasn’t played a game in two weeks. Ruff wanted more physicality and was getting it from other players. But it might be time to work Jokiharju back into the lineup if he wants to get the message across about penalties.
3. After losing to the Canadiens earlier this week, Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin said the team got “humbled.” After the Flyers loss, he told reporters the team didn’t play hard enough and wasn’t ready early in the game. Dahlin had a goal and an assist, but both came after the Sabres had already fallen behind 4-0 and he had taken two penalties. One of those penalties negated a Buffalo power play. The Flyers had a 6-2 advantage in high-danger chances when Dahlin was on the ice at five-on-five. On a night when the Sabres were without Thompson, they needed more from Dahlin before the game was out of reach.
(Top photo: Kyle Ross / Imagn Images)
