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Buffalo Sabres: Reinforcements are on the way at goaltender

By Sion Fawkes

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 27: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen #1 of the Buffalo Sabres skates in warm-ups prior to the game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on April 27, 2021 in New York City. The Rangers defeated the Sabres 3-1. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 27: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen #1 of the Buffalo Sabres skates in warm-ups prior to the game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on April 27, 2021 in New York City. The Rangers defeated the Sabres 3-1. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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Neither Craig Anderson nor Dustin Tokarski are the answer for the Buffalo Sabres at goaltender. Not that they were in the first place.

The Buffalo Sabres have not seen decent goaltending in the past five games. To be fair, they struggled as a defensive unit, so you can’t just blame Craig Anderson and Dustin Tokarski for their woes in the net. Especially given some of Anderson’s highlight-reel saves against the Montreal Canadiens.

If you’ve paid attention to the Sabres recently, you can tell they’re turning the corner by infusing young talent onto the lineup. It’s one reason they gave the nod for Brandon Biro to dress and make his NHL debut against the Canadiens. And it’s why you will see them move players at the trade deadline.

Two goaltenders making noise within the Buffalo Sabres organization

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who’s been spending time in Rochester following a lower-body injury, posted an epic performance last Friday. UPL, as fans call the high-profile Finnish prospect, received First-Star honors after saving 54 of 55 shots on goal, good for a 98.1% save percentage.

It was a career-high in saves for Luukkonen, and his highest since he logged 43 against the Cleveland Monsters last year. Of course, Luukkonen has shone during his few NHL appearances, posing a 93% and higher save percentage in four straight games between December 10th and December 16th.

Meanwhile, Sabres prospect Devon Levi continues to dominate in the college ranks for the Northeastern Huskies. Levi recorded a monster 60 saves against Connecticut on the same night as Luukkonen’s dynamic performance, giving him a 98.3% save percentage.

It was Levi’s first night in the net since the 2022 Winter Olympics. And for bonus points, Levi also recorded an assist. Something you don’t see every day from goaltenders.

While Luukkonen has seen his ups and downs in both the NHL and AHL, Levi continues to shine among the college ranks. During his sophomore season, he has recorded a .951 save percentage and a 1.52 goals allowed average.

Speaking of goalies, let’s not forget about Erik Portillo, who has impressed over at the University of Michigan. In 35 games, Portillo logged a .926 save percentage, allowing an average of 2.14 goals per game, and has logged a 25-9-1 record.

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While the goaltender situation is currently bleak in Buffalo with the aging Anderson holding things down and Tokarski supplementing, help is on the way. It’ll be a minute before UPL, Levi, or Portillo reach the NHL ranks, but nonetheless, they give Sabres fans plenty to get excited about.

(All statistics provided by Hockey-Reference, Hockey DB, and Elite Prospects)

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