Buffalo Sabres: Craig Anderson sets the bar high for Comrie, Luukkonen
By Sion Fawkes
The Buffalo Sabres goaltending has become the subject of scrutiny in 2022, but 41-year-old Craig Anderson is changing that narrative.
Craig Anderson may be 41 years old, and he may only have enough in the tank to play in fewer than half of the Buffalo Sabres games this season, but he is by far the best goaltender in the system. If he was 10 years younger, or even five years younger, Anderson would be making at least 40 starts for the Blue and Gold, no question.
And while his body cannot withstand starting full time, he has made the most of it with a 0.922 save percentage and a 2.65 GAA in 13 games and 12 starts. By comparison, neither Eric Comrie nor Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen have a save percentage above 89%. They also have a GAA of 3.62 and 3.75, respectively.
Earlier in the season, we attributed their struggles to poor defensive play and a rash of injuries that hit the Sabres earlier this season. However, in last night’s win over the Arizona Coyotes, Anderson once again put that narrative to sleep when Kale Clague, Jeremy Davies, Lawrence Pilut, and Casey Fitzgerald all took the ice. Three AHL-caliber players.
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Craig Anderson setting a high bar
Comrie will be returning sooner than later, and in the meantime, Luukkonen will remain the top guy in the net. But there are no more excuses here for either goaltender. We have reached a point in the season where it’s put up time.
Fortunately, Luukkonen had a good game the other night against the Colorado Avalanche, posting a 0.951 save percentage and allowing just two goals. And while he will certainly return to Rochester within the month, perhaps his big night in Denver marks a turning point for his season.
Comrie also had some moments, including a big game against the Edmonton Oilers in October. Since then, it has been downhill for the longtime backup goaltender. Regardless of how many more games he and Luukkonen get, it’s clear that, even with a spotty defense in front of them, anything above a 3.00 GAA and anything below a 0.900 save percentage is not acceptable.
Hot. 5 Sabres are averaging at least one point per game in 2022. light
This duo will have an ample number of chances to prove they belong in this league over the final 51 games. But they need to be more effective in the net considering how well Anderson has played.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)
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