In Game 2, the Buffalo Sabres had to make a switch in net in the third period after Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen allowed his fourth goal of the night. For head coach Lindy Ruff, he now has to decide whether to go with Luukkonen or Alex Lyon in what could be a series-defining decision.
One of the strengths of the Sabres roster this season has been the depth at the goalie position, as they have rotated through Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, and Colten Ellis. At times, it was due to injury, but also based on performance.
However, towards the end of the season, they adjusted the rotation, and Luukkonen looked to be the goalie the Sabres were going to go with in the playoffs. At times through the first two games, Luukkonen has looked great and made some big saves, particularly on breakaways.
That all changed midway through the second period when he allowed what was essentially a dump-in from the red line to bounce past him. After that, Luukkonen seemingly lost all confidence and looked like a different goalie in net.
In the third period, the Sabres went to Alex Lyon after Luukkonen allowed the fourth and final goal of the night less than a minute into the period. He finished the game stopped 15 of 19 shots, while Lyon stopped all seven shots he faced.
Buffalo Sabres could consider a switch in net for Game 3
After the game, Lindy Ruff was asked if Lyon was a possibility for Game 3 and confirmed the chance of a switch in net. The thought was to get Lyon a period of work after being off for an extended period to help him if they do make the change.
The challenge is that Lyon has played in only one game since March 27th, which was on April 4th, and he lasted less than six minutes while allowing three goals on five shots. In fact, he had a rough stretch of games where he allowed 13 goals in his last three starts.
As much as the Sabres might want to make a switch, right now, Luukkonen is probably their best option, even after the rough performance. One of the concerns is that he is an inconsistent goalie, and he has these types of games after a long stretch of really good performances.
It is a risk to have him back out there on the road in a game they need to take the series lead back, but surprisingly, Luukkonen has been good on the road in the regular season with a better save percentage (.915) and goals against average (2.32) than his home starts.
All options are on the table, but Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has earned at least one more start to show he can turn it around before the Sabres elect to make the switch to Alex Lyon.
Add us as a preferred source on Google