How important was Devon Levi's performance in win over Florida?

The Sabres have their solid starter at goalie in Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. However, if they wish to take strides toward getting to the postseason they will need a reliable backup. After an 0-3 start, 22-year-old Devon Levi stepped up between the pipes against the defending champions. He helped lead Buffalo to their first win of the season, giving the Sabres a much-needed boost.

The young goalie had 25 saves and a save percentage of .919 during the 5-2 win against the Florida Panthers. He stopped seven shots during the opening of the game. The Sabres were trailing 1-0 but continued to push through.

He was a main part of the most pivotal sequence in the game. At the start of the second period, Levi was able to stop a shot off of former Sabre Sam Reinhart despite it being a 4-2 opportunity for Florida. Just 66 seconds later, Henri Jokiharju to put Buffalo up 3-1.

Levi will continue to be the number two behind Luukkonen. If Levi continues to perform well it will not be a surprise that he will be on the active roster for the entire season and not sent to the Rochester Americans.

Levi performed well in Buffalo's loss to the New Jersey Devils on October 5th in Prague. He had .919 save percentage during a 3-1 loss.

After the Sabres had released James Reimer a few weeks ago many asked if Levi was up to the task of being the No. 2 behind Luukkonen. With this performance in Buffalo's first victory, it seems he is up to the challenge. "Regardless of their decision, I'm making sure I'm best every day," the goalie commented after a preseason game earlier in September.

He currently has a higher save percentage than Luukkonen as they have played two games apiece. The starter currently sits at a percentage of .886. They both have had a good defense to assist them thus far. Bowen Byram leads the team with blocks with seven on the year. The team also has a penalty kill percentage of 76.92%.

If the defense and goaltending can hold up the Sabres should continue to improve and fight for a playoff spot. Levi should be a big part of that push moving forward.