‘Confident’ Alex Lyon’s road to Sabres’ playoff starter is all about resilience

Apr 28, 2026, 10:00 EDTUpdated: Apr 27, 2026, 16:26 EDT

‘Confident’ Alex Lyon’s road to Sabres’ playoff starter is all about resilience

Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Not every analyst or former NHLer seems to be a fan of Alex Lyon, it seems. And right now, neither are the Boston Bruins.

The Buffalo Sabres have a chance to end the Bruins’ season on Tuesday, which would mark the team’s first playoff series victory since 2007. Zach Benson had just turned two years old when that last happened.

And one of the biggest storylines this year? Coach Lindy Ruff’s decision to turn to Alex Lyon late in Game 2 to help spark the team.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen started the series in net but allowed seven goals in 99 minutes of play. They could have stuck with UPL, but he wasn’t getting the job done. Lyon played part of the third period of Game 2 and hasn’t looked back. He has allowed just two goals the rest of the way, which included a 23-save effort on Sunday night to put the Sabres in a spot to win the series.

It’s been a massive run for the 33-year-old keeper – someone who, a few years ago, likely didn’t see himself ever getting an opportunity like this.

Lyon’s road to NHL playoff starter was a bit bumpy, to say the least. Undrafted, Lyon got his first taste of NHL hockey with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2017-18, going 4-2-1 with a .905 save percentage. Nothing crazy, but it was a reward for his strong sophomore season with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The following year, he appeared in two games, allowing six goals on 31 shots for an .806 SV% through 70 minutes. That was during that wild eight-goalie season for the Flyers, too. His numbers were good in the AHL again the following year. But nothing about his play screamed full-time NHLer.

And realistically, it wouldn’t for a while. It took Lyon four years to play more than six games in the NHL again, going 9-4-2 down the stretch to help the Florida Panthers make the 2022-23 postseason. It was a remarkable run, but short-lived – Sergei Bobrovsky would be the one to lead the team to its first of three Stanley Cup final appearances.

The Panthers elected to let Lyon leave via free agency. He then signed a two-year deal to be part of a crowded crease in Detroit. Lyon impressed, though. His goals saved above expected was just 1.01, but his surface-level numbers were good. The following season was a bit different – Lyon’s 5.59 GSAx was the best of his career, while his surface save percentage dipped below .900. Cam Talbot was Detroit’s top goalie. Still, Lyon proved to be a nice, inexpensive bet under $1 million.

Lyon hit the free agent market yet again last summer, joining his fifth NHL organization with the Sabres. And this situation wasn’t much different – a complicated goaltending situation for a team hoping to finally crack back into the postseason. By all accounts, this was Lyon’s best NHL season. His 23.56 GSAx was not only the best on the Sabres, but also 16th in the NHL. He still shared the net with Luukkonen and Colten Ellis, but Lyon’s play, in unison, was extremely important in helping Buffalo finally end their drought.

Lyon boasts a 2.83 GSAx in the playoffs, which is good for sixth among all goaltenders. Given he has only started two of his three games played, that’s a remarkable number, and a big reason why Buffalo is where they are right now.

“I hate the goal we gave up after how well he’s played,” Ruff told reporters after Game 4. “But he’s really confident between the pipes right now.”

Lyon has never been a full-time NHL starter. Even when he’s been hot, he has never managed to own the crease for himself. And while the results have been mixed at points, he has proven he can steal games as well as any goalie in the league. Proof? He had an 8-1-2 record when he made at least 30 saves this season.

Being an NHL goalie is tough. It’s a position dominated by mental strength, and the playoffs test it more than anything else. Of the top eight goaltenders in terms of GSAx, only two – Ottawa’s Linus Ullmark and Carolina’s Frederik Andersen – have experience as a No. 1 in the playoffs. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Stuart Skinner and Jake Oettinger are among those outside the top 10.

Lyon said seeing a few minutes in Game 2 made it easier for him to ease into the series. He hadn’t played a game for around two weeks, so switching to him cold turkey in Game 3 would have been risky. Heading into this season, Lyon had only played 29 playoff games since turning pro in 2016-17. This isn’t familiar territory for him, even if he was excellent in his two longest Calder Cup playoff runs. The NHL is a different beast, and after a bit of a false start in Florida three seasons ago, he seems much more confident in Buffalo after the team proved they could believe in him with his 30-plus game workload during the regular season.

Of course, Lyon hasn’t accomplished anything meaningful just yet. Sure, he has turned the series around for the Sabres. But it’s a small sample size, and everything can change in an instant. The Sabres are willing to get aggressive on their goaltending decisions, as seen by their three-man rotation throughout most of the campaign – injuries and whatnot.

But for now, Lyon’s their guy. He’s the only goalie older than 30 with the club right now. Lyon is the greybeard, so to speak. But in terms of playoff experience, he’s almost as fresh as it gets. He’s riding a hot hand right now, and the Sabres are better off because of it.

Nobody has ever given Lyon a long-term deal. He’s never been a No. 1 goaltender for a full season. But Buffalo’s belief in him right now could be what leads them deep this year.

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