Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – The Buffalo Sabres wrapped up another development camp on Saturday in front of an enthusiastic crowd, playing a 3-on-3 tournament.
As they did all week, goaltenders Devon Levi and Erik Portillo put on a show, with Portillo stopping 30-of-32 shots throughout the tournament, leading his team to the championship.
The two goalies had two shutouts in their four games, and they were the two games they played against each other. Levi stopped 24 pucks on 28 shots.
It started right off the bat when one of the best shootout players there is came down on Levi. Jack Quinn appeared to have faked him out of his jock, but Levi somehow got his glove back to make the save.
Sabres head coach Don Granato enjoyed watching his two young goalies during Saturday's tournament.
“It was exciting," said Granato. "You probably won’t catch me ever saying that I enjoyed two 0-0 games, but they played two 0-0 games there, and it was fun to watch.
“When you see those two players and so many others out there, we can all start getting a feel of the direction we’re going in, and I like it. With those two guys, when you put skill, talent and passion in the same group, they all learn from each other and they all push each other. That’s what we saw with Portillo and Levi.”
The winning team consisted of Portillo, Quinn, defensemen Albert Lyckasen, Mats Lindgren and Spencer Sova, and forwards William von Barnekow, Jakub Konecny, Jake Richard and Lukas Rousek.
Nobody in the tournament scored three goals. Netting two were Quinn, Rousek, Owen Power and Francois-James Buteau.
As I watched the tournament, some of the lesser named players excelled too:
- Tyson Kozak was a seventh-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, and Rochester Americans assistant coach Michael Peca said he looked like a guy that was taken in the first three rounds.
- Another player that had his moments was Lyckasen, a seventh-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.
- I think 2021 third-round pick Josh Bloom showed why the Sabres were willing to sign him, although he’ll be back in the Ontario Hockey League next season.
- Jake Richard was taken in the sixth round of this year's draft, and he showed what a skillful, nifty player he is.
Another from this year’s draft, 28th overall pick Jiri Kulich, showed a game that seemed to be beyond his 18 years.
Dylan Cozens came down from where he trains with Jacob Bryson in London, Ontario to spend a day with these prospects. Granato loves seeing that from his players.
“That was pretty neat," he said. "I was sitting at the draft table texting with Dylan, and he was telling me how awesome it was watching the players they were drafting and doing research on them. I told him that these are the guys that you’re going to be mentoring and his reply was, ‘I’d be honored.’ Then he called me and told me that he’s coming in for camp and he wanted to be here. So he spent time mingling and following the groups around and it’s good for Dylan. We all know he’s a leader and can be a leader.”
We won’t see all these players in training camp, because some aren’t signed and others are in college, but in less than two months, the others will be back to try to build on the final 28 games of last season.
***Photo: Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres)
