The Buffalo Sabres are healthier than they've been in a long time, as leading scorer Tage Thompson was back Monday among the 25 players crowding the KeyBank Center ice for practice. They're red-hot at the perfect time. It looks as if they're going to ride the wave of enthusiasm created by Devon Levi's arrival in goal.
On Saturday at Wells Fargo Center, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson received a blast from the past on the Philadelphia Flyers' jumbotron.
Meaningful games in ... April? Sure looks that way.
Tuesday's showdown in Sunrise, Fla., against the Florida Panthers feels like Buffalo's most important game since it missed the playoffs in the final week of the 2011-2012 season. The Sabres are 4-0-1 in their last five games, still five points out of a playoff spot but with two games in hand on Pittsburgh and Florida and seven to play.
They just have to keep winning.
"It’s awesome. Exactly what you want is to be playing meaningful games at this point in the season," Thompson said. "We’ve been playing good hockey as of late, so I think it’s exciting times. Really all you can say about it is just exciting to be in this position. It’s a good challenge and something I think everyone in our locker room wants."
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#Isles went 0-2 this weekend and have only 4 games left. Hmmm. Games in hand keep #Sabres in range. Gotta keep winning.No games Monday. On Tuesday, it’s BUF at FLA, PIT at NJD and OTT at CAR. pic.twitter.com/HK7sXwNU9Q
— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) April 3, 2023
The Sabres don't name their starting goaltenders in advance, but it's clear Levi is starting against the Panthers. He got his own net in practice Monday, while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Eric Comrie shared the other and Craig Anderson remained off the ice due to injury.
After the hoopla of his NHL debut Friday against the New York Rangers, Levi isn't going to get much settling-in time. His next start is a massive one for the franchise -- on the road against the team that drafted him in 2020 and traded him in 2021.
"If they decide to give me the call, it'd be pretty cool. I'm ready," Levi said. "I've been waiting for this moment. I'm dialed in. I'm just really excited if I get the call to be able to go and play."
Levi said he has no qualms about making a quick transition from the buildup to his debut to being a regular part of an NHL team on a day-to-day basis.
"I didn't come just to debut, just to play one game," Levi said. "I want to play more and I want to be able to give the team a chance to win. I've moved past the game. It was probably one of the best days of my life. I just enjoyed it, soaked it all in. But when it's over, it's over. You turn the page, and it's a fast league and on to the next."
Thompson has waited a week for his next game after sitting out the last three. Buffalo's leading scorer (44-45-89) took an elbow to the midsection from New Jersey's Timo Meier on March 24, finished that game and powered through the win on Long Island the next night after struggling through warmups, but his effectiveness was in decline and he had to step back.
Thompson was a full-go at practice Monday, back on his line between Alex Tuch and Jeff Skinner.
For memorable Buffalo debuts in goal, you can add Devon Levi to a star-studded list that includes the likes of Don Edwards, Tom Barrasso, Daren Puppa, Martin Biron and Ryan Miller, Mike Harrington writes.
"I felt pretty good. I feel like the last few days I’ve been making some good strides," Thompson said. "Today was a good test to get back out there and just kind of get a little more battles and kind of just feel it a little bit more. So today I think went pretty well."
"I was very comfortable starting practice and putting him on a line, which going in my confidence level was high," said coach Don Granato. "When this thing resolves, it's going to completely resolve and until it resolves, it's going to impede him, and what he needs to do. It's just one of those injuries that will impede your functioning."
Thompson turned a corner skating Saturday morning in Philadelphia. The decision was made to stay out one more game and that helped him be ready come Monday.
Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson makes his return to practice at KeyBank Center.
"You never want to be watching from up top. It’s never a good feeling," he said. "I think I was trying to play through it for a while there. I think it just got to a point where it was hindering me too much to where I couldn’t really play my game and be effective. So I figured it was time to take some time and get healthy so we could be healthy for the last push here."
Like everyone connected with the organization, Thompson was thrilled with Levi's debut and is excited to see what's next from the 21-year-old.
"He played great. I think everyone saw that," Thompson said. "Made a lot of big saves, kept us in the game. He’s a very energetic kid. ... He competes extremely hard and he’s a competitor. So it’s fun to watch him in there."
Levi said he enjoyed serving as the backup Saturday in Philadelphia, going through warmups, watching from the bench and interacting with teammates and staff. With the benefit of a couple of days of hindsight, he said the glow of the win in his debut won't wear off but that he's pondered how the actual hockey moments went.
“It’s unreal," Levi said of his debut matchup against the New York Rangers. "I wouldn’t want it any other way. Going up against the best is why I’m here, why I’m excited. It’ll be a great challenge tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it.”
"I thought I played well and I definitely think I have a lot of room to improve," he said. "I thought it was a good start for me. It was a good game to get my feet under me to get the first brick down. And so now we can start building. And I'm excited to do so."
Was Levi nervous against the Rangers' star-studded lineup? Of course he was. And he said that was a good thing.
"If you go into your first NHL game you're not nervous, there's something wrong with you," he said. "You're anticipating that moment your whole life. I've seen it replayed over and over in my head so many times since I was a kid. And to finally be there, it was cool. It was really cool.
"The nerves make me play well, they give me energy, they make me focus on the puck. A good relationship with nerves is important as a goalie. I was just excited to play. I used the nerves as positive energy rather than negative."
Mike Harrington
Sports Columnist
A News staffer since 1987, I'm a Baseball Hall of Fame voter, a 2013 inductee into the Buffalo Baseball HOF and the Buffalo chapter chair of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. And I insist only Chicago & New York can come close to Buffalo pizza.