So far, the Buffalo Sabres scored with the Eric Comrie signing. But the Queen City’s newest goaltender is playing even better than many think.
Just about every critic out there claimed the Buffalo Sabres goaltending would crash and burn in 2022-23. And while they still have 78 more chances to prove the doubters right, they have thus far proven everyone, perhaps even many in the Sabres faithful, wrong.
But you may not know that the Sabres goaltending with three games under Eric Comrie and one with Craig Anderson between the pipes is faring way better than anyone could have imagined in the season’s early stages. Here are two mind-boggling statistics to be aware of.
1 – Buffalo Sabres 5 on 5 save percentage sits at 0.950
The Sabres' 5-on-5 save percentage (.950) ranks fifth in the NHL. Eric Comrie is now 2-1 with a .930 save percentage overall.
— Lance Lysowski (@LLysowski) October 21, 2022
Last season, new Sabres goaltender Eric Comrie was an unknown commodity, and by the end of the year, I actually listed him as a realistic free agent target to join the team. So far, Comrie has been the top guy in the net and mainly responsible for the 0.950 save percentage you see above. His overall save percentage of 0.930 this season has also been among the league’s best in the early going.
2 – First time a goalie won back-to-back games with 40-plus saves
With back-to-back 40-save performances on Tuesday and tonight, Eric Comrie became the first goaltender in Sabres history to notch 40-save wins in consecutive games.
— Sabres PR (@SabresPR) October 21, 2022
We witnessed history on several fronts last night. Rasmus Dahlin became the first defenseman in league history to score a goal in each game to open the season, Alex Tuch snagged his first career hat trick, and Comrie joined in by becoming the first Sabre to win two games in a row after making 40 saves in each contest.
Overall, things are looking way up for the Buffalo Sabres, and their goaltending is no exception. Time will tell whether they keep the ball rolling as the first month of the season wears on.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)