Sabres' Alex Lyon surprise is huge story heading into Canadiens series
Buffalo needed everything Lyon could give them.
Sabres' Alex Lyon surprise is huge story heading into Canadiens series originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Buffalo Sabres didn't know heading into these playoffs how big a role backup goalie Alex Lyon would play.
But now, Lyon is the unquestioned starter until further notice, and he's a huge reason Buffalo won a playoff series for the first time in 19 years. They'll take on the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference semifinals beginning Wednesday in Western New York, and Lyon will be in net. Lyon, for his stellar work so far, was called the biggest surprise of the playoffs so far by ESPN's Ryan S.
Clark . "There's a feeling among coaches and executives that few teams can get through the playoffs with one goaltender," Clark writes. "What Lyon has done reinforces why tandems are so important beyond the regular season.
His coming in for Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in Game 2 -- only to then take over the net with a . 955 save percentage to close out the series -- was a turning point for the Buffalo Sabres. " MORE: Sabres' storybook season is real, and Stanley Cup dreams are valid The reality is that Lyon was more prepared for this than many second-string goalies would've been, in large part because of the way the regular season played out.