The Buffalo Sabres hoped that playing a rested Devon Levi over veteran James Reimer might help in ending their long losing skid. The 22-year-old played well in the second of back-to-back games in Toronto on Sunday, but his 36 saves were not enough to stop the Sabres from extending the winless streak to 10 games in a 5-3 loss to the Maple Leafs on Sunday.
Levi was returned to the AHL Rochester Americans on Monday after being recalled on Sunday afternoon, but it was not because of his performance. The Sabres plan was to bring the 22-year-old up for the Leafs game after playing in a 7-4 Rochester Americans victory over the Belleville Senators on Friday.
“I left Belleville at 4 pm (Saturday), so I wasn’t there for the second of back-to-back games (against the Senators),” Levi said after the game. “I took a black SUV, they brought me here. I got in around 7 or 8, so I had the night to kind of wind down to get ready for today.”
Buffalo held a 3-1 lead midway through the second period, but rallied for three goals in 2:31 to take a 4-3 lead. Levi stopped 18 shots in the third period to hold the Toronto lead at one and give the Sabres a chance, but they could not beat rookie Dennis Hildeby to tie the game before John Tavares scored his third goal of the game into the empty net.
“He played a heck of a game,” Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said. “You look at the second or third (Leafs) power play, he made a couple saves that really allowed us to try to win the hockey game.”
The former Mike Richter Award winner was sent down in mid-November after the re-acquisition of James Reimer off of waivers to get regular playing time, and that resulted in a 7-1-1 record, 2.08 GAA, .916 save % and two shutouts.
The Sabres have another set of back-to-back games this weekend against Toronto at KeyBank Center on Friday and in Boston on Saturday, so it is possible that they will do the same thing and call up the young goalie again.
Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo
