Rookie goalie Levi shines in Sabres’ 3-2 overtime win against Rangers

Rookie goaltender Devon Levi debuted on Friday in his first victory of the season, helping the Buffalo Sabres claim a 3-2 overtime victory against the New York Rangers.

The 21-year-old signed a three-year entry contract with the Sabres on March 18, only a week after his junior season concluded. Levi leads the national college hockey scene with a .923 save percentage as a goaltender, winning the Mike Richter Award in his tenure at Northeastern University last season.

He debuted with a .939 save percentage rate, stopping 31 shots throughout the game and facing off 20 shots in the third period. In post-game interviews, he voiced his enthusiasm during the last half of the game, relishing the moment when “the pressure is on.”

“Everything and more. It was a dream come true. The game went by fast. I was having fun. I guess when you’re having fun, things go fast. It honestly went by in a blur. It was amazing,” he said. “I was just having fun out there, I wanted some one-timers on that power play, I wanted them to find the seam and test me.”

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Levi summoned uproarious praise in the last half of the game when he crossed the ice from right to left to track a puck aimed toward the goal, maintaining the Sabres’ lead just minutes before the game’s end.

Crowds chanted the rookie’s name, and Levi’s teammate praised his ingenuity and flexibility in post-game interviews.

“That was a pretty unbelievable save,” defenseman Mattias Samuelsson said.

Veteran left winger Jeff Skinner later scored one final goal in overtime, winning the match for the Sabres. Skinner pointed to Levi as the bell rang, and the entire team crowded the franchise’s fourth youngest goaltender in a heartwarming celebration.

Sabres coach Don Granato gave Levi the game puck as memorabilia for his first match. Locker room photos later revealed that the rookie gave the puck to his father, Laurent, showing deep gratitude for his family’s support.

Buffalo Sabres

2023-04-01 02:49

After his first @NHL win, Devon Levi gave his game puck to his dad, Laurent. 🥹💙 https://t.co/qSSjzndDGD

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“I learned that the NHL is hockey. It’s just the game of hockey, it’s the game that I’ve been playing my whole life. It’s been my dream to be challenged by the best, and I’m finally here,” Levi said.

Learning stage for Levi

The Sabres set up a spectacular game for their rookie’s first debut. During their warmup practice, they put much effort into preparing Levi for the Rangers’ speed and aggressiveness.

NHL

2023-04-01 00:49

DEVON 👏 LEVI 👏 What a save from the rookie goaltender! 📺: @Sportsnet ➡️ https://t.co/uEVY6yXLpz #NHLonSN https://t.co/AYvRaGAWH4

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“This is playoff time for us. We need to scrap and battle and find a way to win. We had to find a way to win tonight with a good save to finish and a good play to finish. We had to stay on the hunt,” Granato said.

Left-winger JJ Peterka gave the team its first goal, followed by left-winger Jordan Greenway’s maneuvered point around goaltender Jaroslav Halak in the second period. The team scored 12-2 against the Rangers in the first period, earning their early 1-0 lead.

The Rangers would continue their push against the Sabres, with right winger Kaapo Kakko scoring a goal by slapping a puck over Levi’s range in the third period. Defenseman Adam Fox balanced the scales in the third period after pushing a loose puck barely into the net.

However, Levi caught up with most of the Rangers’ power play, denying forward Artemi Panarin a narrow goal and misdirecting center Vincent Trocheck’s pass.

“I think the biggest thing you notice is how smooth he is and I think he reads plays very well. You can’t say that for every goalie. Some goalies are just good at stopping the puck. Some goalies have hockey minds and make it look easy because they know what plays are developing,” Samuelsson said.

The Sabres’ win on Friday brought them nearer to securing the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. They followed this up with a 6-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, improving their chances of reaching the playoffs.