Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bo Byram was fined the maximum $5,000 by the NHL on Thursday for a hit on Ottawa Senators forward Angus Crookshank in Wednesday night's 6-2 loss.
Byram was not suspended by the league, and he said there was absolutely no intent to hurt Crookshank.
"I think I was a little surprised," said Byram on Thursday following practice. "I didn’t intend on harming anybody on the ice. I feel like, to be completely honest, it was a routine play. I was just trying to give him a bump going back to the net and box him out a little bit, and I feel like I do that a lot.
"He’s a smaller guy (5-foot-10, 181 pounds), and I don’t think he was expecting the contact. But there’s definitely no malicious thought coming from my end, and unfortunately he wasn’t really expecting it and I caught him high and late. But there was no intent from my end of hurting anybody."
Devon Levi had his own net for Thursday's practice, which usually means he gets the start in the next game. That game is Friday against the New Jersey Devils.
In his two games since being recalled from the Rochester Americans, Levi is 0-1-0 with a 1.66 goals-against average and a .954 save percentage. Since Jan. 4, Levi has played five NHL games, going 2-2-0 with a 2.49 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage.
Overall this season, the 22-year-old is 9-8-2 with a 3.16 goals-against average and an .898 save percentage.
In his last trip to Rochester, Levi was playing a lot, and in important games trying to help the Amerks solidify a playoff spot. Levi played very well, going 11-5-3 with a 2.52 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage.
Levi is the type of player that is always taking every experience he gets and turning into a way to get better.
"It was a great run with the guys," said Levi on Thursday with his recent experience in Rochester. "Seth Appert has been unbelievable leading the group, and the guys have been great. I feel like going into those important games and having everyone just stressed to go out and play, there’s a no better feeling.
"Everyone wants to make it to the next level, but everyone wants to succeed, and everyone’s got each other’s back. And just to play consistently was also unbelievable."
Even though it’s only been two games, it’s very noticeable that Levi has gotten better since the last time he was with the Sabres.
"'Donny' [Granato] and Kevyn [Adams] let me know that they’re using this as a resource for me to get better and to get games," Levi said. "It was also good for the mental, because the more you play, the easier it is to shut off the mind."
Levi talked about the different challenges of playing in the AHL. He says there are more broken plays, which leads to more chaos, which helped him be ready for his next NHL opportunity that came on March 19 against the Vancouver Canucks.
"I think the development I got there was pretty important for me going forward. I felt like my game was in a good spot going into Vancouver, because I felt like I was just playing another game," Levi said.
Levi left Northeastern University and signed with the Sabres last season on March 17. That means he’s had a lot of different experiences in the past calendar year.
"It’s been a great year," he said. "A lot of different situations, a lot of different moving pieces. I think, as a first-year pro, to see as much as I did, it’s been great.
"I just feel older and more mature, and more experienced."
Levi says he’s enjoyed getting to know some of the high-end prospects that are down in Rochester that are about his age, and could be teammates for years to come in Buffalo. He’s gotten to know 22-year-old Ryan Johnson, 21-year-old Isak Rosen, 20-year-old Nikita Novikov, 19-year-old Jiri Kulich and 20-year-old Viktor Neuchev.
If he goes back for the Amerks' playoff run, he will also get to know fellow goalie, 19-year-old Scott Ratzlaff, as well as 18-year-old forward Anton Wahlberg.
Jordan Greenway left practice on Thursdayjust before it ended. Granato said Greenway was being evaluated after aggravating an injury, but thinks he will be good to go Friday against the Devils.
Tyson Jost missed two games due to injury, but he’s been cleared to return to game action.
