Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen didn’t assume his usual spot in the Buffalo Sabres’ starters’ net when they returned to practice Thursday after another brutal loss in KeyBank Center.
Devon Levi, the rookie who took hold of the crease late last season, is expected to get the start Friday night when the Sabres host the New Jersey Devils in the first game of a back-to-back.
Levi earned the nod with consecutive, impressive performances, the second of which occurred Wednesday night when he stopped 31 of 32 shots in a relief appearance after Luukkonen was pulled in the first period. Levi has made 62 saves in two games since returning from Rochester, a remarkable .954 save percentage. According to MoneyPuck.com, Levi ranks 19th among NHL goalies this season in goals saved above expected.
“I think in Rochester, there’s a big focus on development,” said Levi, who posted a .927 save percentage in 19 games with the Amerks. “I think that’s the reason I was there. [Sabres coach Don Granato] and [Sabres General Manager Kevyn Adams] let me know we’re using this as a resource for you to get better and to get games. So that’s what I treated it as, as a resource to improve every day.
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“So being able to practice, pregame skates, play as many games as I did, it was great – great for my game on the ice, great for the mental. I feel like the more you play, the easier it is to shut off the mind. So it’s been good to get into a rhythm, get into a flow, see different game situations.”
By starting Levi against the Devils, Granato gives Luukkonen an additional day to work through some of the hiccups that occurred in his play against the Oilers and Senators, when his teammates were defending poorly. Luukkonen has allowed 13 goals on 81 shots over his last three appearances, an .840 save percentage.
While the Sabres’ terrible first period Wednesday wasn’t on Luukkonen alone, he also looked shakier than at any point since his impressive run as the starter began Jan. 1. He’ll get an opportunity to bounce back Saturday against the Maple Leafs.
“This is something that you have ups and downs like this in your career,” Granato said of Luukkonen. “He’s a guy that I would suspect is going to have a nice, long and good career, and you’re not going to be up all the time. ... He’s been outstanding, obviously, for the last couple of months. A bit of a hiccup here for him. He needs to find a reset as quick as he can and understand that’s part of his future, really. There’s gonna be some downs or some things you don’t like or some things you get frustrated with.”
Lineup change
The forward lines did not change at practice Thursday, but Granato made a significant adjustment to his defense pairs to try to solve the Sabres’ inconsistent 5-on-5 play.
Rasmus Dahlin skated next to Owen Power, while Bowen Byram was partnered with Henri Jokiharju.
The bulk of Dahlin’s 5-on-5 ice time with Power the past two seasons has been in the offensive zone with the Sabres either tied or trailing by a goal late in a game. With those two on the ice at even strength since the start of 2022-23, the Sabres have outscored opponents, 24-11, while earning 61.1% of the shot attempts and 54.64% of the expected goal share.
The challenge for the duo, according to Granato, is balancing risk and reward if they’re on the ice in different situations than those they’ve seen in the past.
“They process the game very well,” said Granato. “They’re excited on the offensive side, too, as partners. As you play more and more minutes, you can’t just think offense. So they’re gonna have to make certain that they play offense without unnecessary risk, I guess.”
Injury updates
The Sabres’ medical staff will evaluate winger Jordan Greenway on Friday morning to determine if he’s able to play through the injury that he aggravated during practice.
Granato expressed optimism that Greenway will be able to face the Devils, but the Sabres had to wait to see how their best penalty-killing forward recovered from practice Thursday.
“I do believe he’ll be fine for tomorrow,” said Granato. “But again, we’ll evaluate in the morning. We think it’s going to be some that’ll resolve, and he’ll be able to play.”
Tyson Jost, on other other hand, was cleared to return to game action from the undisclosed injury that kept the forward out of the Sabres’ lineup against Calgary and Edmonton. Jost has zero points and a minus-2 rating while averaging 10:36 of ice time in seven games since he re-joined the club after a stint with the Rochester Americans.
Byram fined
Byram was fined $5,000 by the NHL Department of Player Safety for his blindside hit Wednesday night on Ottawa Senators forward Angus Crookshank.
Byram received a two-minute minor penalty for interference for leveling Crookshank with a shoulder-to-shoulder hit in the Sabres’ defensive zone when Buffalo was trailing 4-0 with 4:37 left in the first period.
The fine, which is the maximum allowable by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, will go toward the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.