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The Buffalo Sabres didn't know heading into these playoffs how big a role backup goalie Alex Lyon would play.
But now, Lyon is the unquestioned starter until further notice, and he's a huge reason Buffalo won a playoff series for the first time in 19 years. They'll take on the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference semifinals beginning Wednesday in Western New York, and Lyon will be in net.
Lyon, for his stellar work so far, was called the biggest surprise of the playoffs so far by ESPN's Ryan S. Clark.
"There's a feeling among coaches and executives that few teams can get through the playoffs with one goaltender," Clark writes. "What Lyon has done reinforces why tandems are so important beyond the regular season. His coming in for Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in Game 2 -- only to then take over the net with a .955 save percentage to close out the series -- was a turning point for the Buffalo Sabres."
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The reality is that Lyon was more prepared for this than many second-string goalies would've been, in large part because of the way the regular season played out.
UPL missed time with injury, which meant Lyon got ample opportunity to show what he could do. At one point, Lyon had a 10-game winning streak on the road, which is unheard of.
Still, Lyon isn't thought of as having the same physical traits as Luukkonen. He's smaller and didn't have the same hype coming up through the ranks.
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It'd be cliche to say that goaltending in the playoffs is more about heart than height, but somehow, the NHL postseason gives off that vibe anyway. If a goalie gets hot, it doesn't really matter what they look like doing it -- the guy that just keeps stopping the puck from getting into the net is the one who leads his team on a special ride.
Lyon has done the job so far, and the stakes will only rise as the journey gets deeper.
So far, Lyon has validated Buffalo's belief in him. And there are plenty more opportunities for him to keep surprising -- only the longer he does it, the less it'll be a surprise.
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