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Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)

Sabres’ Goaltending Is a Big Reason They Are Contenders

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Zach Berta | Last updated Mar 24, 2026 9:55 AM ET

The Buffalo Sabres are truly one of the best stories in all of sports. They’ve missed the playoffs for the last 14 seasons, and outside of two seasons (2011-12, 2022-23), they haven’t come particularly close to making the playoffs either.

The Sabres sit first in the Atlantic Division with a record of 44-20-7 (95 points) with 11 games remaining, which means they are inching closer to breaking their playoff drought. They are in a battle with the Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the Eastern Conference, who sit with 96 points. Who woulda thought?

There are many factors contributing to the Sabres’ continued success this season. One huge turnaround from last season to this season, however, has been the quality of their goaltending, with Alex Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

Sabres’ Goaltending Has Been Elite

The Sabres’ goaltending has not just been good; it’s been elite and among the best in the league. This season, Lyon, whom the Sabres signed to a two-year contract in the offseason, has played in 34 games, recording a save percentage (SV%) of .912, a goals-against average (GAA) of 2.64, and a 20-8-4 record.

Luukkonen, who was disappointing last season, has bounced back in a huge way this season. In 28 games played so far, he’s recorded a SV% of .911, a GAA of 2.54, and a record of 17-8-2.

Just from looking at the surface-level stats, they are still among the better numbers in the league. They join the Minnesota Wild as the only other goaltending tandem to both be inside of the top-10 among league leaders in SV% (Jesper Wallstedt, Filip Gustavsson).

Now hopping over to the analytic side of things, it’s been just as good for Lyon and Luukkonnen. According to Money Puck, this season, Lyon has a goals saved above expected (GSAx) of 15.8, which is eighth in the NHL. Luukkonen does not sit too far behind him as he has a GSAx of 9.9, which ranks 15th in the NHL.

Goaltending Has Helped Power Sabres’ Dominant Stretch Of Games

The Sabres have been the hottest team in the league since Dec. 9, and a big reason is the goaltending. Since Dec. 9, Lyon has a ridiculous record of 17-2-1 (1st in the NHL), with a SV% of .919 (2nd), a GAA of 2.19 (3rd), and a GSAx of 14.5 (4th).

Luukkonen has been every bit as good, too. Since Dec. 9, he has a record of 13-4-1 (4th), with a SV% of .916 (4th), a GAA of 2.53 (9th), and a GSAx of 14.9 (3rd).

Every time the Sabres seemingly need a save, they end up coming through and making the big save. The goaltending has been the missing piece of this current core of Sabres players, and now that Lyon and Luukkonen are delivering, they have become a top-tier contender in the Eastern Conference. They will have a chance to win the Eastern Conference if the goaltending holds up, which it will.

The Sabres are on a historic run at the moment with a record of 33-6-3 in their last 42 games played. It’s the most wins in a stretch of games since the 2022-23 Boston Bruins won 33 times in 41 games to end their season.

Not only has Sabres’ goaltending helped the overall win total, but it’s also helped the team break franchise records for longest road point streak and one of the best stretches of hockey on the road in NHL history. The Sabres are currently riding a 14-game point streak on the road (12-0-2), which set a franchise record (previously 10 games). They also now hold the 10th-longest point streak in NHL history. It’s the first time a team has reached a road point streak of at least 14 games since the Nashville Predators (12-0-3 from Jan. 4, 2028, to March 19, 2018).

If the Sabres want any chance to win the Atlantic Division, a playoff game, a playoff round, or even make it to the Stanley Cup Final, the goaltending is going to have to keep playing at this level, and I think both Lyon and Luukkonen are capable of it.