Buffalo Sabres: Breaking down Devon Levi’s monumental sequence

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Devon Levi showed off an incredible sequence of saves late in the second period in last night’s win over Boston.

Following his seven-game stretch to close out last season, we knew Devon Levi was good. Numbers aside, Levi made the jump from the college game to the NHL to try and save the Buffalo Sabres goaltending situation while they were in the middle of a playoff race. I mean, what Levi did is nothing short of Hollywood material. And who knows, maybe someone will concoct a screenplay on the 21-year-old’s 2022-23 season?

You’re talking about an undersized goaltender who was drafted in the seventh round by a team that, in hindsight, must not have wanted him too badly if they made him part of a trade package. Then there is the fact he’s often overlooked in international play and is found riding the bench. So for a college kid to step into the net and nearly save the situation last year is remarkable in and of itself.

But one question lingered: Could Levi follow it up in his first full season as the Sabres presumed starting goaltender? It’s a minute sample size, but Levi’s performance yesterday may have foreshadowed things when he saved 19 shots on goal and allowed nothing by him in two periods before he relinquished the net to Devin Cooley.

Before Levi took his place on the bench, however, he pulled off an amazing sequence of saves late in the second period. If you missed the game for whatever reason, check it out for yourself:

The Buffalo Sabres may have found themselves a goaltender

The sequence lasted about 20 seconds, and Levi made back-to-back-to-back saves and then some in a flurry that the likes of Eric Comrie and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen probably wouldn’t have pulled off. Notice how Levi’s eyes never leave the puck following the initial save, and the first two shots on goal took place less than one second apart.

The next save rebounded far enough to give Levi time to reset his positioning, Boston attempted some trickery behind the net, yet despite the heavy traffic in front of him, Levi still made his next save look easy. The next one came off of a one-timer from the slot, and Levi again knocked it away with ease.

In the next frame, you saw three Sabres and three Bruins surrounding the crease, and at this point, Boston is trying to score that “dirty goal.” Yet Levi responded by planting himself on the ice, and throughout the entire sequence, his head always moved with the puck, despite the number of bodies in front of him for a portion of the sequence.

Overall, you’re looking at a remarkable display of reflexes, hockey instincts, and the ability to, despite the heavy traffic, maintain the necessary discipline to scope out the puck and ultimately freeze it. Once again, this is just a small sample size, but it shows you that Devon Levi’s stock is skyrocketing north.

Source: Observations: Devon Levi stellar in preseason win, delivers 19 saves for Sabres by Lance Lysowski, Buffalo News