In his first career start at the Bell Centre, goaltender Devon Levi helped the Buffalo Sabers to a 6-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night.
The 22-year-old Quebecer stopped 32 pucks. He stood out in several moments of the game, including a series of miraculous saves at the expense of Jesse Ylönen in the first period and a qualified steal on Cole Caufield in the final moments of the game.
The Sabers opened their scoring in the second period. Casey Mittelstadtt took advantage of David Savard's presence in the cell and completed a great sequence. Less than two minutes later, it was Jeff Skinner's turn to take advantage of a rival's indiscipline and put the puck behind the red line. Mitchell Stephens was the one who did it.
The CH thought they had opened the score shortly before the Sabres' first goal, but a goal from Joel Armia was disallowed after a foul by the visitors. After watching the video, those responsible came to the conclusion that Michael Pezzetta had hindered the goalkeeper's work.
However, Armia had a chance to recover by finding the net short-handed in the final moments of the second period. This goal reduced the deficit to half and is the Finn's 100th point in the CH jersey.
Hopes of a comeback were short-lived, however, as the Sabers scored two goals in the first half of the final period. Jack Quinn and Tage Thompson scored the goals. Rasmus Dahlin (empty net) and Thompson tied the score at the end of the game.
Skinner not only scored a goal, but also three assists. He now has 46 points in 41 career games against the Canadian.
Jake Allen was tasked with guarding the cage for the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge. The veteran made 32 saves, which was his 10th loss in 14 games this season.
The Habs will return to action on Saturday evening as part of a visit to the Quebec metropolis by the New York Rangers. This will be the first duel between the Canadian and the “Blueshirts” in 2023-2024.
SUMMARY
THIRD PERIOD
8:00 p.m. – End of the meeting.
18:32 – GOAL BUF 6-1 Tage Thompson puts the final nail in the Canadiens' coffin by scoring the Sabres' sixth goal. It's his second in the game.
14:43 – Zach Benson receives a penalty. The Canadians will play on the power play.
14:31 – TORBUF 5-1 The Canadiens remove their goaltender, but it's the Sabers who benefit. Rasmus Dahlin scores in an empty goal.
13:19 – Dylan Cozens, David Savard and Mike Matheson will be followed in the same order.
08:35 – BUT BUF 4-1 The Sabers added more less than two minutes later. This time Tage Thompson scored the goal. This is his 11th of the season.
06:45 – BUT BUF 3-1 Jack Quinn makes a perfect shot that beats Jake Allen. His fourth goal of the season gave Buffalo a two-goal lead.
00:00- Start of period.
SECOND PERIOD
8:00 p.m.- End of period.
17:59 – Dylan Cozens receives a penalty. The Canadians will play on the power play.
13:19 – BUT MTL 2-1 When outnumbered, Joel Armia takes advantage of a loss of the ball and shoots a perfect shot. His fifth goal of the season allows Montreal to reduce the score.
12:14 – Michael Pezzetta receives a penalty. The Sabers will play on the power play.
06:59 – BUF GOAL 2-0 The Sabers score again on the power play. Jeff Skinner hits the target with a perfect shot. His 16th goal of the season gave Buffalo a two-goal lead.
06:14 – Mitchell Stephens receives a penalty. The Sabers will play on the power play.
05:33 – BUF GOAL 1-0 The Sabers used the power play to open the scoring. Casey Mittelstadt scored the goal. His 11th goal of the season puts Buffalo in the lead.
05:00 – David Savard receives a penalty. The Sabers will play on the power play.
02:06 – GOAL DENIED MTL Joel Armia shoots a shot that beats Devon Levi. The Sabers competition claimed the goalie was obstructed. They won their case. The goal is not recognized.
00:00 – Start of period.
FIRST PERIOD
8:00 p.m. – End of period.
15:19 – The Sabers receive a penalty for having too many players on the ice. The Canadians will play on the power play.
13:16 – Joel Armia receives a penalty. The Sabers will play on the power play.
00:00 – Start of the game.
In front of the net
Devon Levi Record: 7-6-2 / Goals Allowed Average: 3.36 / Efficiency Rate: 88.8%
Jake Allen Record: 4-7-2 / Goals Allowed Average: 3.40 / Efficiency Rate: 90.3%
Training from trainer Martin St-Louis