Buffalo Sabres goalie Alex Lyon doesn't just stop pucks—he stops them with style. When Boston Bruins forward Viktor Arvidsson stepped up for a penalty shot in Game 3 of the first-round playoff series, Lyon calmly deflected the attempt wide with his blocker. But for the 33-year-old netminder, that wasn't enough. He immediately chirped at Arvidsson, piling on the frustration for a Bruins team that had just missed a golden chance to build a 2-0 lead. Buffalo went on to win that game 3-1, and the moment perfectly captured the fearless, competitive edge Lyon brings to the crease.
"I think when you're young, it's easy to get intimidated by the moment," Lyon said. "But once you start thinking about it in terms of the game, it's about winning and losing at the end of the day. That's the only thing I'm trying to do. It's just gamesmanship."
That mindset has been a driving force behind Buffalo's surge into the second round of the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. After starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen struggled in a Game 2 loss to Boston, Lyon took over the net and hasn't looked back. He's gone 4-1 since, including a 26-save performance in a 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of the second-round series. Entering Game 2 on Friday night, Lyon boasts a 1.30 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage—both ranking second among goalies with five or more playoff starts this season.
This postseason run is the culmination of a remarkable season for Lyon, who went 20-10-4 while sharing starting duties and helping the Sabres end an NHL-record 14-year playoff drought. Buffalo also captured its first Atlantic Division title, and Lyon's steady presence has been a key factor.
What makes Lyon so effective? Very little seems to rattle him. Or, as he puts it, he's learned to hide it well. "It's all about perception," he explained. "It probably dawned on me five or six years ago that if you just continue to keep pushing through the bad times, it will always turn around for the better."
That philosophy has carried him through a nine-year pro career spanning five NHL teams. Now, with the Sabres riding high and Lyon standing tall between the pipes, Buffalo fans have every reason to believe this playoff run is just getting started.