Since Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen got pulled in Game 2, Alex Lyon was stellar in the final moments of that game and all of Game 3. He could lead the Buffalo Sabres to the second round.
The Buffalo Sabres had to be good at a couple of key things to take a 2-1 series lead against the Boston Bruins.
First, they had to be good at comebacks, as Buffalo trailed in Games 1 and 3 before coming back to win both.
However, goaltending has played an important factor, because Bruins netminder Jeremy Swayman has been very strong with a .931 save percentage and 2.38 goals-against average.
Sabres journeyman goalie Alex Lyon has stepped up in relief of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, even outduelling Swayman in Thursday's Game 3, and could lead the Sabres to a first-round victory.
After Luukkonen faltered late in Game 2, coach Lindy Ruff called on Lyon to play the final 14:10 of Game 2 and all of Game 3.
Lyon stopped all seven shots he faced in Game 2 to earn the start on Thursday, and he turned aside 24 of 25 shots to thwart Boston's attempt at taking a series lead at home.
Lyon now has .969 save percentage and 0.81 goals-against average in 74 minutes of action.
The 33-year-old has a history of coming up big on whatever team he was on. In four of his past five regular seasons, Lyon has had an SP of .904 or better. He became the Detroit Red Wings' starting goalie in 2023-24 and played 30 games last season before joining Buffalo.
During the regular season, Lyon's 2.77 GAA in 36 games was the best since 2017-18, when he played 11 games for the Philadelphia Flyers. His .907 SP is the best since 2022-23 with the Florida Panthers.
But while Lyon has bounced between five teams – the Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes, Panthers, Red Wings and Sabres, he's become a valuable netminder who can go on hot streaks and steal games in important moments.
Given Lyon's current salary of $1.5 million, he's turning out to be one of the best financial investments any team has made in their netminders.
The way Lyon has frustrated the Bruins is something Sabres fans were desperate to see out of their goalie. Luukkonen had the first opportunity to make a positive impact, but even in his Game 1 win, he had an SP of .850. So he's effectively squandered that opportunity – and Lyon has made the most of the chance Ruff has given him.
The Bruins have only been able to get one goal past Lyon in four periods. Boston hasn't been able to rattle Lyon, let alone dominate him. So the Bruins have to find ways to undermine Lyon's game, or this series is going to be over in Buffalo's favor in five or six games.
That said, he's not the second coming of Dominik Hasek, and like any goalie, he can get cold. In five of his final six games of the regular season, Lyon had an .889 SP or worse. In his final game of the season, he was yanked after giving up three goals on five shots. Thus, the Bruins will know they can still expose Lyon's flaws.
But if you're a Sabres fan, you have to be breathing a huge sigh of relief. If he can get Buffalo into the second round and beyond, Lyon will be revered as a Sabres hero for ages to come.
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