BUFFALO – Following his splendid 31-save effort in Saturday’s 4-2 win over the San Jose Sharks, Sabres goalie James Reimer will likely take a back seat behind Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen again.
Luukkonen has performed dynamically this month, compiling a 5-0-0 record with a 1.72 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage in his last six games. Those numbers include a 40-minute appearance Nov. 11 in which he allowed four goals before getting yanked because of a lower-body injury.
After a so-so opening month, the Finn has morphed into one of the NHL’s elite goalies and the Sabres’ backbone again. Coach Lindy Ruff will almost certainly utilize him every chance he can.
Still, Luukkonen, 25, can’t play every game, and the Sabres have back-to-back contests this weekend following Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Wild at KeyBank Center.
So fresh off his Buffalo debut, expect Reimer, 36, to start either Friday’s afternoon’s home game against the Vancouver Canucks or Saturday’s road contest versus the New York Islanders.
The Sabres waited a long time for Reimer to spell Luukkonen and illustrate why he ranks as one of the league’s top backups.
After signing Reimer to a one-year, $1 million contract as a free agent, they kept second-year goalie Devon Levi and lost the veteran on waivers to the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 7 before reclaiming him Nov. 13.
His return allowed the Sabres to send Levi, 22, to the Rochester Americans for regular action.
Reimer’s body of work speaks for itself. He has played 504 games over 15 seasons, compiling a 216-179-63 mark with a 2.89 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.
Saturday’s terrific outing after sitting for 27 days – he made the last of his two starts with the Ducks on Oct. 27 – shouldn’t surprise anyone.
“Over my career I’ve had stretches where I haven’t played and whatnot,” Reimer said last Monday of his long stretch without playing.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff told reporters in San Jose that Reimer “had a spectacular performance.”
“There’s not much else you can say except we needed him to keep us in the game, and he did,” he said. “And he made a couple of saves that, for the record, were unbelievable saves.”
One of those saves, a highlight-reel stop on rookie Macklin Celebrini, the first overall pick this year, ranks among the best by any goalie this season.
With the Sabres trailing 2-1 almost halfway through the game, Reimer moved over in his crease and lunged forward to stymie Celebrini’s one-timer from the right circle with his glove.
That, however, was just one part of a stop that elicited “oohs” from the crowd when a replay was shown.
As he fell forward to the ice, Reimer reached behind his back and gloved the puck.
He joked to reporters in San Jose that when Timothy Liljegren passed the puck to Celebrini from the point, he “blacked out.”
“I was late on the pass across,” Reimer said. “… If I could do it over again, I’d like to find a way to keep my feet. But I was late, and so I kind of sprawled across, got a piece of it, and I just kind of saw it tip off my glove. That’s just 7-year-old street hockey goalie James playing.”
James Reimer’s save of the year entry on Celebrini #sabrehood #sjsharks pic.twitter.com/EM5zgW3NYl
— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) November 24, 2024
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The Sabres, who won all three games on their California trip, had Monday off.