Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - Alex Lyon has tied a Buffalo Sabres record by winning nine-straight games in net. The amazing thing is the last two wins came after missing 10 games due to injury.
Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin says the most impressive thing about his teammate is his work ethic.
"I’m really, really impressed with what he’s doing off the ice. He’s so dialed in," said Dahlin following practice on Monday. "I have a ton of respect for guys that really work hard, and he’s one of the guys that I’ve seen that works the hardest. I’m not surprised he came back in great shape and ready to go."
Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff believes it’s not just the work ethic that Lyon has. He says the goaltender sticks close to goaltenders coach Mike Bales.
"They’re always working on something," Ruff said after Monday's practice. "A goaltender always feels he can improve in an area or if some part of his game is off. I think he’s a big student of the game, and he puts a lot of work in a takes a lot of pride in his craft."
In his postgame comments on Saturday after shutting out the New York Islanders, 5-0, Lyon says a lot goes into winning nine-straight games.
"My process is feeling good, but I’m just trying to take it a day at a time," said Lyon on Saturday on Long Island. "You have to continue to hammer on the details and hope things work out, and right now things are working out."
Things aren’t sounding good for Josh Norris to return before the Olympic break in February. Ruff isn't optimistic that the Sabres center will play when the team returns home later this week.
"Josh is better and progressing," the Sabres head coach said.
"Unless he gets on the ice here pretty quick, then were going to balance where if it’s the right idea with all that time coming up. I think we’ll make sure we do the right thing, in his case, that when you look at all that extra time, it might be the best if we can’t get him to give him that time off too."
Ruff adds that defenseman Jacob Bryson is better than first thought, and he’s just in a pain management situation.
The Sabres go into Monday’s games in third place in the Atlantic Division with a .618 points percentage. Despite going 18-3-1 over the last 22 games, it’ll take quite a bit more to catch the second place Detroit Red Wings (.651) or the first place Tampa Bay Lightning (.680).
Buffalo still has four games left against Tampa Bay.
The Montreal Canadiens own the East’s No. 1 Wild Card at .606.
Buffalo has moved up to seventh overall in the NHL standings. They are ahead of teams like the Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers, Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals and New Jersey Devils.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are slumping, and are 12th in the Eastern Conference at .548. They’ve lost four-straight games and six out of seven. All four of those losses have come at home.
MONDAY’S LINES:
Forwards:
Doan – Ostlund – Helenius
Zucker – McLeod – Quinn
Greenway (Kozak) – Krebs – Malenstyn
Benson – Thompson - Tuch
Tune in during "Schopp and the Bulldog" on Tuesday for pregame coverage on WGR when you’ll hear from Ruff, Dahlin and Zac Jones.
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