“That’s the stuff that puts a smile on your face,” Ruff said.
And when pucks did get to Lyon, he was typically ready for them, stopping 29 of 31 shots for his second straight win. He hadn’t started since Black Friday but had entered the Sabres’ previous two games in relief; on Thursday, he made 21 saves to beat Edmonton in overtime.
Lyon admitted it’s been challenging for him with the three-goalie roster – Colten Ellis is currently out with a concussion – and the irregular playing time that comes with it. But the veteran netminder hasn’t seemed too rusty this week, and once he settled into Thursday’s game, he looked pretty unbeatable.
“That’s just kind of my role in hockey, in life, so I just try to stay ready and be ready,” Lyon said. “Just happy to get the start today and happy to get the win for the guys, and really appreciative for how we sold out.”
As put by captain Rasmus Dahlin, who scored his third goal of the season, the team is approaching every game like “must-wins” – the standings demand as much. With this one, Buffalo has back-to-back road wins for the first time this season; with another one Sunday in Seattle, the Sabres would improve to .500 both on the road trip (currently 2-3-0) and the season overall (13-14-4).
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and on Thursday those measures paid off with two huge points. Here’s more from the win.