BUFFALO – After sitting out last game, Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is expected to start Wednesday against the Boston Bruins, his eighth nod in the last 16 contests.
Meanwhile, crease mate Alex Lyon, whose franchise-record 10-game road win streak ended Sunday, will likely get a full night off – that means not even dressing – like Luukkonen did for Sunday’s 6-5 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks.
Right now, as Luukkonen and Lyon alternate starts, the backup job belongs to rookie Colten Ellis, whose arrival on Oct. 6 gave the Sabres a surfeit of netminders.
When the Sabres began carrying three goalies – they claimed Ellis off waivers after Luukkonen suffered his second injury in barely a month – few thought it would last long.
Dedicating a roster spot to a forward or defensemen is often the more prudent move. An extra goalie is a luxury most teams can’t accommodate.
Three-goalie situations often get resolved when one emerges as the undisputed starter, forcing another to be shed through a trade or another transaction.
Five and a half months ago, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff never envisioned he would be utilizing Luukkonen and Lyon, both of whom have battled injuries, as a tandem down the stretch.
“When they got healthy, they were both playing well,” Ruff said following Tuesday’s practice in KeyBank Center. “It was pretty easy to just to play both guys.”
Since Luukkonen and Lyon began alternating games Feb. 5, they’ve tended some of the best goal of their careers, helping the Sabres compile an NHL-best 12-2-1 record.
Each goalie has notched six wins. Last week, they recorded back-to-back shutouts.
Luukkonen has registered a 2.01 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage during that torrid stretch. Even after allowing six goals Sunday, Lyon boast a 2.61 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage in that span.
Thanks to last month’s Olympic break, the schedule is dizzying, meaning there’s little time for rest and recovery. Wednesday’s game kicks off a stretch of three games in four nights. They play 11 times in 22 days to close the regular season.
“We just feel that with the schedule the way it is, as many games as there is, it’s really hard with travel and back-to-back (games), it’s really hard to play one goalie,” Ruff said.
The relationship Luukkonen and Lyon enjoy has contributed to their success. They share mutual respect and want to see the other succeed.
“Alex … we get along well,” Luukkonen said. “He’s a great guy. He competes. He wants to get better every day. He’s intense when it comes to hockey. He’s intense when it comes to winning.
“So he’s been a really great goalie partner this year. The rotation has been working.”
Lyon, who has been a part of goalie tandems at other stops, said “you have to have the right personalities.”
“I really enjoy it,” he said. “… Your body feels pretty good. Your brain feels pretty good, and we’re just pushing each other, I think. It’s really been healthy in that way (competitive)-wise.”
Taking a full night off as a healthy scratch can help ease the physical and mental wear of a marathon six-month, 82-game season.
“It’s a big asset in the end, because you don’t have to mentally or physically go through the same grind to get ready,” Luukkonen said. “Because it doesn’t matter if you’re starting or backing up, you still want to be mentally dialed in.
“And it’s nothing crazy, but it takes that little bit of a toll. You get hyped up for the game and you get your energy up, so kind of not having to deal with that, and when you’re not playing, it’s also a big thing this year.”
That’s where Ellis, who hasn’t played since Feb. 3, comes in.
Ruff said he doesn’t want the youngster, who has “stepped in and given us good hockey,” to be forgotten about. Lyon called him “an even bigger linchpin in this.”
“He’s done a fantastic job,” Lyon said. “And it doesn’t get talked about enough, but that’s a very difficult position to be in, getting emotionally up for practice every day, physically getting ready for practice every day.”
Lyon also lauded assistant coach Mike Bales, who’s in charge of the goalies, saying he doesn’t receive enough credit.
“His superpower as a goalie coach is like really allowing a goalie to be themselves and to be the authentic version of themselves,” he said.
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Sabres winger Jordan Greenway, who has battled pain after undergoing two hernia surgeries, practiced Tuesday.
He recently rejoined the Sabres after receiving treatment away from the team. He hasn’t played since Jan. 22.
“We’ll see how he progresses through practice,” Ruff said. “We’ll get him some physicality. I thought, watching him skate, he skated really well. What he tried (for treatment) seemed to put him in a place where he may be a player again.”