For the most part, the Buffalo Sabres have been dealing with some inconsistent goaltending to start the 2023-24 season. After the injury to goaltender Eric Comrie, the team has been rolling with a combination of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi, who have both played in five games on the year.
At still only 21 years old, much of Levi’s poor start could be attributed to growing pains, as he only has a 2-3-0 record, coupled with a .886 SV% and a 3.41 GAA. Luukkonen on the other hand has had incredible starts, like the one against the Colorado Avalanche on October 29th, earning a shutout against a solid offensive team. However, only two games later, Luukkonen would let in five goals on 19 shots against the Philadelphia Flyers, an offense that is not nearly as capable as Colorado’s.
To try and get more consistency out of his goaltenders, Lance Lysowksi of The Buffalo News reports that head coach Don Gronato is not keen on giving one starter a bulk of the starts, and will begin to rotate Levi and Luukkonen more regularly, in an attempt to create a hot hand in the net. This is largely the most logistical choice for the Sabres to make for the time being, as neither starter has shown the capacity to carry a majority of the load quite yet in their young careers.
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