BUFFALO – Sabres goalie Alex Lyon has won 173 games in pro hockey, including 51 in the NHL.
Three years ago, the Yale product notched six straight late-season victories that propelled the Florida Panthers to an unlikely playoff berth. Four years ago, he won 12 times during the Chicago Wolves’ run to the Calder Cup and posted a shutout in the championship-clinching game.
When Lyon, 32, thinks about the finest wins of his career, a 3-2 triumph over the St. Blues on Nov. 13, 2021, a seemingly random game, pops into his head. In his first of two outings with the Carolina Hurricanes, he made 27 saves.
Why is it so memorable? Lyon and his teammates answered a stiff challenge.
As COVID-19 ran through the Hurricanes, they fielded a lineup that featured replacements from the Wolves.
“I think we had like one line of NHL players, and the rest of the American League team was up, and we snuck out a 3-2 win, and it was one of the best wins of my career,” Lyon said following Thursday’s practice in KeyBank Center.
The 6-foot-1, 199-pound Lyon, who will start Friday’s preseason finale in Pittsburgh and likely play at least two periods, knows the Sabres might face a similar situation against the Penguins.
The Sabres could rest many of their top players. The Penguins, meanwhile, might dress superstar Sidney Crosby and their regular lineup.
Sure, it’s simply an exhibition game, but Lyon enjoys being the underdog.
“I love these games,” he said. “You go in, it’s you against the world. I think that that’s awesome, and I think if we can find a way to bring our best for 60 minutes, you can rest your head easy at night. That’s how I see it.
“And so for me, it’s so fun because the mentality is let’s go grind our hearts out for 60 minutes, and then … the season starts (next Thursday). What a great test for us.”
When Lyon signed a two-year, $3 million contract as a free agent, he was expected to back up Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and push the No. 1 goalie.
Now, with Luukkonen battling a lower-body injury, he could be thrust into a bigger role.
Coach Lindy Ruff said Luukkonen, who left Wednesday’s 5-3 loss to the Penguins after the first period, was being evaluated Thursday and the Sabres would know more about his status later in the day.
Luukkonen missed the first week of training camp after tweaking a lower-body injury. Ruff said the Sabres hope the Finn’s latest injury is different than the one that just sidelined him.
“That would be a positive for us,” said Ruff, who acknowledged Luukkonen could miss the Sabres’ opener against the New York Rangers.
Even if Luukkonen returns in the coming days, having missed so much of camp and played just 20 minutes, Lyon might be the better option early in the season.
Lyon, who spent the last two seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, has experienced a little bit of everything in his nine pro seasons. He has learned to embrace the backup role and the uncertainty that often accompanies the unique job.
The mindset he has developed has helped him morph from an undrafted goalie into a veteran of 117 NHL games.
“I view myself as I’m going to be ultra competitive, take as many starts as I can while also trying to tremendously support the other guys,” the Minnesota native said. “And that’s how I like to be and how I found it the best way.”
Lyon believes supporting the other goalies on the roster is critical. Right now, the Sabres also have veteran Alexandar Georgiev competing for a roster spot.
“The season is too long, and in 2025, goaltending is too difficult and too demanding for you to compete against each other in that way, have animosity,” he said. “Healthy competition, but it’s a very fine line. And so, for sure, I want to push them, and I hope these guys push me.”
Lyon said he’s “extremely impressed” by Luukkonen.
“Can’t say enough about his game,” he said. “You don’t really know a guy or what they’re about, especially goalies, until you kind of see them up close and temperament. He’s got all the tools to be a really, really elite goalie in this league.”