Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The Buffalo Sabres will have Alex Lyon in goal on Thursday when they face the Los Angeles Kings for the first time this season.
For 12 games, head coach Lindy Ruff has been alternating his goaltenders. But with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen leaving Tuesday’s game in Toronto with a lower-body injury, Lyon may, once again, become the No. 1 goaltender.
Lyon will be attempting to set a franchise record Thursday with his 10th-consecutive win. It’s a record held by Gerry Desjardins, and has stood since the 1976-77 season.
In his last game, Lyon shut out the New York Islanders, 5-0, on Saturday.
When Luukkonen went down against the Leafs, Colten Ellis was the backup goalie and went in. In that situation, teams are allowed to dress their third-string goalie, but he can’t sit on the bench. Since Lyon was a healthy scratch, he had to wait in the locker room dressed, and can only play if the backup goaltender also gets hurt.
Lyon says he was working out in the locker room.
"It's a surprise, but I’ve been in that situation before," said Lyon following practice on Wednesday. "It’s just the same as always. Once you get the call, you make sure you’re prepared in case anything happens."
I asked him if it’s weird that he has to sit by himself in the locker room dressed ready to play.
"It’s a little strange, but there are arenas in the league where you end up sitting in the locker room because there’s no space on the bench," Lyon noted.
Lyon says it took him around eight minutes to be dressed and ready.
The 33-year-old has been around long enough that he’s seen everything. He says if he’s the starter going forward, that’s great. If he’s still alternating with Ellis, that’s great too.
"We were in this position early in the season and Colten has been playing great. So just continue to try to do the same things and nothing really changes from my perspective," Lyon said.
This season, Lyon is 12-6-3 with a 2.70 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage.
Meanwhile, Ruff says Luukkonen will miss a week and then be reevaluated. He says playing for Finland in the Winter Olympics hasn’t been discussed yet.
In this current stretch, where the Sabres are 19-3-1, they’re second in the league with a goals-against average of 2.43. The Tampa Bay Lightning lead the league at 2.41.
Those two teams are also 1-2 in goals-for too in that time period. The Bolts average four goals per-game, while the Sabres average 3.91
The Sabres have jumped up to fourth overall in the NHL in goal scoring, averaging 3.38 goals per-game this season.
The Sabres are 7-1-1 in their last nine home games and are 16-6-3 overall. That’s third in the NHL, with a points percentage of .700.
Rasmus Dahlin has seven goals and six assists for 13 points in nine games.
Tage Thompson has 16 goals and 18 assists for 34 points in his last 27, which is a 44-goal pace for the season.
The Kings arrive with a road record of 14-6-6, which is fourth in the NHL at .654. Overall, they’re 16th in the league with a points percentage of .559. They are tied with the San Jose Sharks for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Don’t be shocked if this game goes to overtime, as Los Angeles leads the league with 13 loser points.
Ruff talked about an extremely tight game, as the Kings are fourth in the NHL with a 2.71 goals-against average and 28th in goals-for at 2.61.
Los Angeles has won the first two games of their current road trip. Their game in Columbus against the Blue Jackets on Monday was postponed due to the weather.
They have points in six-straight games, going 3-0-3.
Anton Forsberg played the last game in Detroit, making 27 saves on 28 shots against the Red Wings. That likely puts Darcy Kuemper in goal against the Sabres.
Kuemper is 13-9-9 this season with a 2.56 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage.
Adrian Kempe leads the Kings with 17 goals and 23 assists for 40 points in 51 games.
Captain Anze Kopitar has missed 10 games with a foot injury. He has announced he’ll retire at the end of this season.
Tune in during "Schopp and the Bulldog" for pregame coverage on WGR starting at 6 p.m. when you’ll hear from Ruff, Lyon and Tyson Kozak.
