Alex Lyon was expected to take Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s place in net for the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night, giving Buffalo a different starting goalie for Game 3 against the Boston Bruins. Lyon had his own crease at the team’s morning skate, while Luukkonen and Colten Ellis split work in the other net.
The change comes after Luukkonen started the first two games and was pulled early in the third period of Game 2 after allowing four goals on 20 shots. Lyon, who returned in time to back up Luukkonen after missing the final week of the regular season with an injury, had been expected to get the nod as Buffalo looked to move within one win away from the next round.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff would not tip his hand before the game, calling the starter “top secret,” but he also made clear the club was comfortable keeping its options open. “I can tell you this, we’ve used three goalies all year,” Ruff said, adding that some people had thought the team’s rotation was unusual. “We haven’t relied on one guy. We haven’t relied on one goalie.”
That approach has defined much of Buffalo’s season. Lyon and Luukkonen shared the net for most of the year, and Lyon was one of the steadier road performers in the group, winning 10 road games in a row at one point. Thursday also brought another lineup change as Josh Norris missed the morning skate and was ruled out for Game 3 with an injury, leaving him day to day.
In Norris’ place, Noah Östlund skated on a line with Zach Benson and Josh Doan and joined the second power-play unit, with Alex Tuch moving onto the top group. Östlund, who had been out with an injury since March 25, is set to make his playoff debut. Ruff said the rookie had brought speed, tenacity and trust in the faceoff circle, calling it an opportunity for him to jump into the fire.
Östlund’s rise has been quick. He finished the regular season with 27 points and a plus-11 rating in 60 games, numbers that helped explain why Buffalo was willing to lean on him in a pressure spot. Tyson Kozak also filled in at morning skate, taking Josh Dunne’s place between Jordan Greenway and Beck Malenstyn after playing 46 games for the Sabres during the regular season.
Ruff’s willingness to keep mixing and matching is a reflection of how Buffalo has reached this point against a Boston team that tied for the most home wins in the league this season. For the Sabres, the question for Game 3 is not just who starts in net, but whether the depth that carried them here can keep holding under playoff heat.