When will the Buffalo Sabres play Comrie and Luukkonen?
By Sion Fawkes
Over the past two games, Devon Levi has done his part to help the Buffalo Sabres stay competitive, but when will he get a break?
Devon Levi has allowed just five goals over the past two games, and nine in three, giving him an 0.890 save percentage and a GAA of 3.00. He also earned his first quality start in last night’s win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, and if his early returns are anything to judge, Levi is getting better every time he steps between the pipes.
But for a 21-year-old goaltender jumping straight from the college game to the NHL, one would think Eric Comrie or Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen would at least have rotated in by now. However, we can guess that one of those two will be giving Levi a break sooner than later. So when will they make their 2023-24 debuts?
It wasn’t surprising to see Levi start once again last night thanks to the fact he had a full two days off. But the Blue and Gold are playing a game every other day this week, with the Calgary Flames and New York Islanders on the slate tomorrow and Saturday, respectively.
Will the Buffalo Sabres start Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen or Eric Comrie this week?
At this point, there is little to go on regarding whether Luukkonen or Comrie will see their first start of the season in the near future. However, we do know that Levi earned a rest day today along with other several key players, as Lance Lysowski of Buffalo News pointed out in the following post:
The Sabres are on the ice for practice, with a few guys getting a rest day after the win over TB.
— Lance Lysowski (@LLysowski) October 18, 2023
No Samuelsson. Dahlin, Clifton, Johnson, Levi, Greenway and Mittelstadt are also absent.
Therefore, we know Luukkonen and Comrie got plenty of work in their own nets today. Does this signify Levi getting the night off tomorrow? It could, but we shouldn’t put too much stock into it just less than 24 hours before faceoff.
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But overall, I would anticipate someone getting a start sooner than later, and it shouldn’t surprise you if either Comrie’s or Luukkonen’s first start occurred tomorrow night. We won’t need to wait long before we discover who will be lining up between the pipes, as it’s often announced a few hours before the puck drops.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)