Levi - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres prospect Devon Levi becoming dominant force for Rochester Amerks in playoffs

ROCHESTER – Buffalo Sabres prospect Devon Levi can’t tell you how many shutouts he has recorded this season or the gaudy save percentage he registered during the Americans’ first-round sweep that leads the Calder Cup Playoffs.

“I don’t know my shutouts,” Levi told the Times Herald following Friday’s practice in Blue Cross Arena. “I don’t know my save percentage, either.”

For the record, the goalie has compiled nine shutouts, including an AHL-best seven during the ... Read the full article

After ending season on tear, will Sabres’ James Reimer retire or keep playing?

BUFFALO – James Reimer’s superb goaltending down the stretch for the Sabres showed he possesses the talent to return for his 16th season.

Even at 37, an advanced age, he ranked among the NHL’s hottest netminders, compiling a gaudy 8-2-0 record from March 23 until the season ended, including a career-long seven-game winning streak. His win total during that torrid stretch was tied for first in the league with Los Angeles Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper, ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Devon Levi, Jiri Kulich star as Rochester Amerks grab 2-0 lead

ROCHESTER – Don’t let the 4-0 final fool you. For much of Sunday afternoon, the Americans held a tenuous grip on a one-goal lead against the Syracuse Crunch.

After rookie winger Konsta Helenius put them up early, the Amerks could’ve unraveled in the second period of Game 2 of their AHL North Division semifinal series.

The Crunch buzzed around goalie Devon Levi, outshooting the home team 15-6 and also hitting the post during a late ... Read the full article

Fourth-liners Brendan Warren, Riley Fiddler-Schultz help Rochester Amerks rally to win playoff opener

ROCHESTER – Mike Leone played at three colleges and grinded in the minors and Europe for three seasons before beginning the next phase of his hockey life. So the Americans coach has a soft spot for his depth players who have battled and waited for their opportunities.

Leone knows their buy-in and contributions are vital to a team’s success, especially in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

To wit: in Friday’s 3-2 win over the Syracuse Crunch ... Read the full article

After breakout season, Bowen Byram wants to sign new contract with Sabres

BUFFALO – When the Sabres traded for Bowen Byram before the 2024 deadline, general manager Kevyn Adams acknowledged they weren’t sure how he would fit in their lineup.

In Byram, they saw a talented defenseman drafted fourth overall who had won the Stanley Cup in 2022. Players of his caliber who have sipped from hockey’s holy grail rarely become available in their early 20s.

Adams couldn’t pass up adding a high-end defenseman, so he dealt ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Devon Levi feels ‘lucky’ to earn Budweiser can by holding Alex Ovechkin goalless

Buffalo Sabres goalie prospect Devon Levi considers himself fortunate. In his one career appearance against Alex Ovechkin, the greatest goal scorer in NHL history never landed his wicked one-timer on net.

“I’m one of the lucky ones,” joked Levi, who has spent most of this season starring for the Rochester Americans.

On Nov. 22, 2023, Levi made 26 saves in his 15th start for the Sabres, a 4-3 overtime road loss to Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals.... Read the full article

Sabres’ James Reimer becomes NHL’s hottest goalie at end of odd season

BUFFALO – Following a one-game rest, the Sabres could turn to goalie James Reimer again tonight, awarding him his seventh start in the last nine contests.

After serving as a backup all season, Reimer, 37, has morphed into the NHL’s hottest netminder, winning six straight starts while compiling a 2.80 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage.

If he plays tonight’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes at KeyBank Center, Reimer can set a career-best win ... Read the full article

After struggling with Sabres, Nicolas Aube-Kubel finding game in Rochester

ROCHESTER – For three months, winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel moved in and out of the lineup, never finding a groove while often skating short minutes for the Buffalo Sabres.

In his first days with the Sabres, Aube-Kubel, 28, looked like he would fit nicely on their revamped fourth line, offering them some much-needed grit and speed.

The newcomer enjoyed a strong training camp and stood out early in Buffalo’s season-opening loss Oct. 4 before injuring his ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Devon Levi displaying dominance in Rochester after slump

ROCHESTER – Buffalo Sabres prospect Devon Levi’s ability to embrace any adversity he experiences has enhanced his development with the Americans.

Levi, 23, has enjoyed a stellar run here over parts of two seasons, winning 66 percent of his games while emerging as one of the AHL’s elite goalies.

Still, like any second-year pro, he has felt some bumps. Last month, he lost back-to-back games in regulation for the first time.

In the second outing ... Read the full article

Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin on tear, quietly becoming one of NHL’s top offensive threats

BUFFALO – At his current pace, captain Rasmus Dahlin would register 72 points over a full season, one less than his career high and the second-highest total by a Sabres defenseman in the last 35 years.

Pretty good, right? Well, consider Dahlin has scored nine goals and 46 points despite battling injuries from the get-go this season and missing eight games with back spasms in December.

What kind of gaudy numbers would the ultra-talented Swede ... Read the full article