PITTSBURGH – Alex Lyon hasn’t always been this welcoming to his crease mates. No way. Early in his career, the Buffalo Sabres goalie had zero interest in sharing the net.
“Until the time I was 23 years old, I started every single game – college, junior, high school,” Lyon said prior to Wednesday’s game against the Penguins in PPG Paints Arena. “Like, I was the man, and so it took me a long time to get into this mindset.”
Following a long on-ice workout Wednesday morning, Lyon walked into the hallway outside the visiting dressing room in his full equipment, took a knee and, with sweat dripping off his face, explained how he has evolved over the years.
Lyon, 32, said he “was ridiculously competitive to the point where it created unhealthy relationships with my goalie partners.”
“And 82 games, nine months is too long of a time to harbor that level of animosity, and it’s not healthy,” said Lyon, who has spent most of his NHL career as a backup. “It’s not healthy for your game or their game.”
So Lyon, who has played for five NHL teams, learned he must transform his mindset. Ten years ago, he likely would’ve had difficulty handling his current situation as one of three goalies on Buffalo’s roster.
“I understand the situation,” he said. “I think we all get it. … I just have to put my best foot forward when the time is called, and I plan on playing for 15 more years if I can until I’m 50 years old. So it’s just a step in the journey, really.”
After starting the Sabres’ first six games and nine of their first 11 contests – it can be argued he was their early-season MVP – he has taken a backseat to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who battled two early-season injuries, and rookie Colten Ellis, a waiver claim last month.
Wednesday’s contest will be the sixth straight game Lyon has either backed up or been scratched. He has played just three out the last 12 contests.
In his last start Nov. 13 in Colorado, he got hung out to dry, allowing two goals on three shots in 6:10 before getting pulled. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said following the game the yanking wasn’t performance-related.
Over about a month, Lyon has experienced both extremes: playing almost every game and sitting out nearly every one.
“The start of the season was interesting, obviously, just given there a bit of tumult in the goalie room,” he said. “… I was feeling good at the start and had a really good start. I’m trying to take this opportunity as the exact same as it was coming into the season, where you haven’t played a game in three or four months.
“What are the things I was doing that made me successful? So I try to think about that.”
Ruff has been riding the hot hand. Luukkonen, who’s expected to be Buffalo’s No. 1 goalie, appears to finally be finding a groove. Ellis caught fire and started three straight games and four of five before Luukkonen took over Friday.
As he watches from the bench or the sideline, Lyon wants Luukkonen and Ellis to succeed.
“If UPL goes on a 60-game heater and wins every game the rest of the year and plays every game, that’s … a great (freakin’) problem to have, you know what I mean?” he said. “And so I want that, I’m rooting for that. I want both of those guys to be very successful.”
Of course, Lyon also wants to take over the net again.
“I want to push them,” he said. “I want to take their job. But at the same time, I’m here, and the reason I can stay in this league is because I want the team success.”
Lyon, who signed a two-year, $3 million contract with the Sabres following two seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, understands things often change in a hurry.
“Goalie situations in the league (are) ridiculously tumultuous, and so the second you think things are going to be the way that are, it changes,” he said. “… It’s a little bit about survival, cockroach mentality. It’s a little bit about thriving, but it’s just staying on that razor’s edge all the time.”