Deep Blue Metallic
Bo knows hockey.
- Mar 5, 2021
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5. Jakob MarkstromThe Sabres haven’t made life easy on their goalies either, allowing the seventh-most high-danger chances per 60, and that’s at least partially led to Devon Levi giving up the fourth-most rebounds per save (0.069).
Rebound control is one of the best indicators of a goalie’s comfort level, and in his first full season as a professional, it’s not surprising Levi hasn’t been in complete control.
4. Devon Levi, G, 22 (Rochester Americans/Buffalo Sabres)
I know Levi’s numbers as a rookie in the NHL haven’t lived up to the pedigree that preceded them, but his play in the AHL has and I’m still confident he’s going to be one of the Sabres’ goalies of the future. This is a kid who just had two seasons for the ages at Northeastern, winning the Mike Richter Award as college hockey’s top goalie in back-to-back seasons as a freshman and sophomore and finishing his college career with a .942 save percentage (while mixing in three appearances at three different levels for Hockey Canada). His journey from the CCHL to the world juniors and then the Olympics, all during the pandemic, was one of the best stories in hockey for a little while and it’s not as though his 14-9-2 NHL record and .895 career save percentage so far are terrible (they’re actually not far off from league average these days).
He still has pretty much exactly the skills smaller goalies (he’s listed at 6 feet and 192 pounds) need to be successful. Impressive control on his inside and outside edges (and the patience to hold them). Quick feet on his shuffles so that he can stick with dekes and go post-to-post or low-to-high to get to tough pucks. Good hands. Excellent reads on shooters. Excellent tracking through and under traffic. And a battler’s mentality in the net which keeps him in plays even when he looks like he’s down and out. There aren’t a ton of 6-foot goalies in today’s NHL, at least not starting ones, but I still believe that Levi and Calgary’s Dustin Wolf each have the tools to become one (Wolf, too, hasn’t yet played to his standards in the NHL).
And we need him here sunday
Comweasal, aka mr .868 is an auto loss
Nice situation we have with Levi developing on point but UPL is our guy.Don't look now, but Buffalo's future 1A earned a spot among AHL goalie statistical leaders.
Devon needed last night's 60 minutes against Syracuse to become "qualified."
He's just over the 1,080 minutes played threshold. That allowed Devon move into the number two spot in save percentage (.923), and No.12 in GAA (2.49).
Those are darn fine numbers for a 22-year old playing his first full season of professional hockey, IMO.
And if you're wondering, the league leader in save percentage is Hershey Bears' 24-year old Clay Stevenson (.930).
And guess who's number three?
None other than our former very own -- Erik Portillo (.924).
Portillo has a 2.32 GAA in 30 games for the Ontario Reign.
Don't look now, but Buffalo's future 1A earned a spot among AHL goalie statistical leaders.
Devon needed last night's 60 minutes against Syracuse to become "qualified."
He's just over the 1,080 minutes played threshold. That allowed Devon move into the number two spot in save percentage (.923), and No.12 in GAA (2.49).
Those are darn fine numbers for a 22-year old playing his first full season of professional hockey, IMO.
And if you're wondering, the league leader in save percentage is Hershey Bears' 24-year old Clay Stevenson (.930).
And guess who's number three?
None other than our former very own -- Erik Portillo (.924).
Portillo has a 2.32 GAA in 30 games for the Ontario Reign.
Portillo is going to be a very good goalie. Hopefully they made the right choice and Levi is at least as good or better.
The challenge is that the Reinhart trade that landed Levi happened after Portillo's freshman season at Michigan where he only played in 7 games. Strauss Mann was Michigan's #1 that season.You think he would of signed if Adams wasn't walking around talking about Levi with a boner?
Seems the Sabres are going to take 3 goalies with them out west.
You think he would of signed if Adams wasn't walking around talking about Levi with a boner?
I'd rather Levi play and start in the AHL playoffs rather than keep him in Buffalo for an extremely optimistic HF thread about potential playoffs which we all know is just going to end in heart break again. This time I'm closed off to the heartbreak.put comweasel on wavers again
Levi needs to be our backup for the playoff push