The Buffalo Sabres will head out on a three-game road trip this week against Pittsburgh, Columbus, and Chicago and will undoubtedly split the goaltending duties between Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi against the Penguins and Blue Jackets on back-to-back nights.
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Through four games this season, the Sabres appear to be rotating their goalies, starting Luukkonen in the season opener against New Jersey and the home opener against the LA Kings, while Levi played the second of back-to-back games against the Devils and Buffalo’s first win of the season against Florida on Saturday.
Head coach Lindy Ruff indicated after practice on Monday that both goalies have played well so far in a rotation, it is possible that down the line he will opt to lean on one more frequently as a primary starter.
“I said this from the beginning (of training camp), I really feel we’re going to need both guys and there might be a period where one may take over. I don’t know the answer to that right now. I just need both of them to play well, because there’s a lot of hockey down the road.”
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It has been Ruff’s penchant to go with one goalie heavily. In his first stint with the Sabres, it was Dominik Hasek, Martin Biron, and Ryan Miller, with Dallas it was Kari Lehtonen.
In New Jersey, he did not have the netminder who he could depend on to start 55-60 games, but based on his performance last season and being signed to a five-year contract extension, Luukkonen would appear to be the leading candidate to be Buffalo’s go-to starter at some point in the near future, but Levi will have something to say about that.
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