Buffalo, NY (WGR 550) – “It’s out of my control, so I can’t really think about it. How I was thinking about it was, you can’t keep the beast tamed in the cage for too long. So it’s just a matter of time, getting out and being hungry. I’m just super hungry to get out there and stop pucks.”
Ladies and gentlemen, that’s the Buffalo Sabres' top prospect in net, Devon Levi.
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Levi’s immigration wait is over, as he finally got on the ice with his teammates for the first time on Friday. The 21-year-old got onto the ice early to work with Eric Comrie and goaltending coach Mike Bales.
"It’s been great. Finally, just happy to be out there with them, facing the shots, developing with them and getting better," said Levi on Friday following the morning skate. "I feel like I’m a part of it now, so I feel good."
When rookies show up for the first time, it’s more than just what is happening on the ice. There’s off-ice logistics like where are they going to live, where are they going to shop, what are the good restaurants? Levi says he used this downtime to learn about that.
“It’s been great to get to know what the schedule is like, what time to get to the rink every morning, what time to wake up, consistent breakfast and meals. It’s been a good five days just figuring this stuff out," Levi said. "I think being off the ice from the guys just gave me the opportunity to learn the off-ice and the living, and how to be a pro. I learned in the last five days, take care of the off-ice stuff and now it’s finally time to go on the ice.”
Levi says his teachers are giving a bit of leeway when it comes to his school work, and he said he got a lot of it done before he came to Buffalo. He thinks immigration took longer for him, because he signed on a Friday and they don‘t work on the weekend.
The native of Dollard-Des Ormeaux, Quebec has played on teams with Dylan Cozens, Peyton Krebs, Jack Quinn and Owen Power. He says having them here has really made it easier for him.
“We’ve been to war together. We have that connection, we have that bond," Levi said. "We’re buddies, and it’s good to be on a team knowing a few guys coming in, so that definitely helped. We’ve played well before together, so I’m looking forward to the future.”
Levi needs to get all new goalie equipment, although he can use some of his college stuff, like his pads, that have been re-covered with Sabres colors. He didn’t seem all that concerned about it.
“We’re still figuring [things] out. It’s obviously a little bit of a change," Levi said. "New gear, different colors, the sizing. The sizing has been pretty good. A lot of my gear fit to regulations, but it’s mostly the matching the team colors and stuff like that. It’s been good, just breaking in some new things and I’m getting used to it. But it’s not a big deal.”
Levi has been studying the Sabres and their opponents during games. He has been following a process.
“I go up to the press box and watch from up top. I have a little notepad. I’m just looking at the chances we give up, what to be ready for, kind of like our structure and looking at how the goalie fits into it, what the goalie’s expected to do and handle," Levi explained. "Also, it’s pretty cool, because you get to see a new NHL goalie almost every night come in. So I got to watch a little bit of [Juuse] Saros the other night, which was pretty cool, and just kind of look at his game and see it in person. A little bit of [Jeremy] Swayman from a few days ago against Boston, so just picking up little things from these guys. They’re all good goalies. It’s always good to learn from them.”
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will likely be in goal against the New Jersey Devils on Friday. Luukkonen is 15-11-4 this season with a 3.82 goals-against average and an .891 save percentage. Luukkonen has lost his last five starts, giving up 21 goals.
In his last appearance, he went 23:23 in relief of Craig Anderson, giving up no goals against the Nashville Predators.
Head coach Don Granato says there will be no changes at forward, but one change on defense that will see Jacob Bryson back in.
Tage Thompson broke an eight-game goalless streak with a power play goal against Nashville. That’s his only point in the last four games. His recent slump has sent him plummeting down the league ranks. His 88 points (43+45) puts him 10th. He has been as high as second in league scoring. He’s gone from third to sixth in goal scoring with his 43 goals.
Rasmus Dahlin’s play the last month or so has likely taken him out of contention for the Norris Trophy. In his last seven games, he has no goals and one assist and is minus-14. His last goal came on Jan. 23.
His 64 points has taken him from second in defensive scoring to sixth.
Lindy Ruff’s crew is third in the NHL with a points percentage of .690. The Devils are also a very young team, but they have not gone through wilting under the pressure of their first playoff race like the Sabres have.
In a scheduling quirk, New Jersey has played the Tampa Bay Lightning in three of their last six games. They are 1-2-2 in that stretch.
The Washington Capitals gave up on Vitek Vanecek, so the Devils were more than happy to trade for the 27-year-old. This season, he is 29-8-4 with a 2.49 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.
Mackenzie Blackwood was supposed to be their No. 1 goalie, but injuries have held him to just 17 games.
In his first two seasons after being drafted first overall in 2019, Jack Hughes scored 18 goals. In his last two seasons, he has 63 goals in 116 games.
Nico Hischier was also selected first overall in 2017, and the 24-year-old has his first 30-goal season and 67 points.
Believe it or not, the Sabres are still third in league goal scoring, while the Devils are sixth.
I was always amazed by the false narrative in Buffalo that Ruff was a defensive coach. Don’t get me wrong, the Devils are third in league defense and it’s important, but they can score goals with the best of them.
Join Schopp and the Bulldog for pregame coverage on WGR starting at 6 p.m. ET when you’ll hear from Granato, Levi and Alex Tuch.
