Alex Lyon, your #1 goalie?

[PromoTheRobot]

So far the Sabres 3-headed goalie monster has a clear #1.

The questions right now are:

1) How long do we ride him? 

2) Do we test Colten Ellis before we start UPL?

 

Edited 11 hours ago by PromoTheRobot

[GoPuckYourself]

He 100% should be our starting goalie until he proves otherwise. This reminds me of the partial year when Bobrovsky was hurt and he was standing on his head to make it to the playoffs and he was a big part of that granted it's a much smaller sample size so far but looking like maybe the same situation? One could at least hope so but for right now he's earned it.

Edited 10 hours ago by GoPuckYourself

[Weave]

Its still early.  Real early.

[The Jokeman]

I get we got Ellis late and he still has to get accolated to the team but I'd hope he gets in sooner than later. As Lyon has been solid but not spectacular thus far which makes him a fine backup but if we're counting him on 50-60 games to me that's a mistake. 

[JP51]

Way early... but early returns are he doesnt suck... can he withstand the #1 rigors at this level of play... time will tell... but so far, signing of the year for the Sabres.

[Taro T]

Just now, The Jokeman said:

I get we got Ellis late and he still has to get accolated to the team but I'd hope he gets in sooner than later. As Lyon has been solid but not spectacular thus far which makes him a fine backup but if we're counting him on 50-60 games to me that's a mistake. 

Ellis right now is a victim of the schedule, much like the backups were in October of last year.  No back to back nights and the starter is playing well and is still fresh as the season has just begun.  Had they not been 0-3, Eliis MIGHT've gotten the start last night.  But the team was desperate, Lyon is looking ilke the Lyon that came in when Bobrovsky was unavailable, and he's not being asked to play on btb nights, and with it being the very beginning of the season, he's well rested.

Would run Lyon for the most part through October unless the horseshoe falls out of his pants before then.  Am in no rush to activate UPL, at best he gives us the goaltending Lyon is providing, and activating him forces a roster move to either 3 headed monster or Ellis back to the Blues organization.

Will take November as it comes.  Expecting even when UPL is back for Lyon to get 2 of every 3 or 3 of every 5 starts.  It would be foolish to go away from him while he's hot.  But won't expect him to stay hot into December.  Would love to see it; but don't believe he's ever stayed hot for more than 2 months.  

Try to get Ellis a game before activating UPL, but don't believe they have a btb for at least another week and a half, so that may not be doable.  It would be good to be able to keep him long enough to force St. Louis to keep him on their roster should they make a claim on him.

 

[LGR4GM]

I would trade UPL. Not because I have faith in Lyon being great forever or Ellis but I just think both are better than UPL. Maybe UPL will prove me wrong? Hope so. 

[ponokasabre]

I’d want to see a couple games from Ellis to see what we have there but UPL has an uphill battle to get the net back 

 

the one thing that is good is Lindy clearly showed last year that he doesn’t have faith in UPL, and he will ride the hot hand 

[darksabre]

6 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I would trade UPL. Not because I have faith in Lyon being great forever or Ellis but I just think both are better than UPL. Maybe UPL will prove me wrong? Hope so. 

I'm inclined to agree, I'm just not sure we're getting much for him. He must have a reputation as frequently injured at this point. 

[darksabre]

Like, oof. 

 

[Carmel Corn]

21 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I would trade UPL. Not because I have faith in Lyon being great forever or Ellis but I just think both are better than UPL. Maybe UPL will prove me wrong? Hope so. 

Maybe Edmonton would be interested?

[ponokasabre]

1 minute ago, Carmel Corn said:

Maybe Edmonton would be interested?

They would but they have zero cap space so to make it work it has to be money in money out or we retain and I am not retaining on UPL

[matter2003]

.911 is light years better than what we got last year.  Keep playing him until he shows he is not able to sustain that and it starts falling off drastically. UPL at this point needs to show why he deserves ANY playing time.

Edited 9 hours ago by matter2003

[Pimlach]

I doubt Lyon holds up playing 50+ games behind a porous team defense.  

Would like to see Ellis play before UPL comes back.  

[ponokasabre]

3 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

.911 is light years better than what we got last year.  Keep playing him until he shows he is not able to sustain that and it starts falling off drastically. UPL at this point needs to show why he deserves ANY playing time.

Yep I couldn’t agree more. I do honestly think UPL will be improved with the defense as well 

but he has to earn , no doubt about that

1 minute ago, Pimlach said:

I doubt Lyon holds up playing 50+ games behind a porous team defense.  

Would like to see Ellis play before UPL comes back.  

Have to see Ellis play, I just am having a feeling he is gonna be good 

[matter2003]

4 minutes ago, ponokasabre said:

Yep I couldn’t agree more. I do honestly think UPL will be improved with the defense as well 

but he has to earn , no doubt about that

No UPL will be improved because he feels he has "something to prove" again.  It's an ongoing trend with him.  When he feels like he has to prove something to earn playing time, he focuses in, plays very well and earns the playing time.  Then once he gets it and feels no real pressure, he seems to lose focus, not pay attention to day to day details and his play falls off a cliff. We have seen this happen in both directions twice now in his career...first when he needed to make the team from Rochester, then fell off once he was comfortable in his role.  Then again when he was in the final year of his contract and had a chance for a big payday. Then once he got it and earned the full time role, fell off a cliff and then thru the ground about 100 feet more. Now he has something to prove again and will probably play very well when he gets a chance...but I would be wary next year if he does play well and we give him the role again...we should expect the same lack of focus, lack of attention to details and severe drop off in play as a result.

Edited 9 hours ago by matter2003

[PASabreFan]

12 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I doubt Lyon holds up playing 50+ games behind a porous team defense.  

Would like to see Ellis play before UPL comes back.  

If he can effortlessly swat away a Paul Hamilton leading non question question, he can hold up.

[Pimlach]

4 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

If he can effortlessly swat away a Paul Hamilton leading non question question, he can hold up.

Lyon rode his snowmobile to school at the age of 11.   He can handle Hammy.  

 

[shrader]

42 minutes ago, Carmel Corn said:

Maybe Edmonton would be interested?

I actually heard an Edmonton reporter suggest it earlier this week. 

[matter2003]

23 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Lyon rode his snowmobile to school at the age of 11.   He can handle Hammy.  

 

He will also fit right in during WNY winters.

[JP51]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

I would trade UPL. Not because I have faith in Lyon being great forever or Ellis but I just think both are better than UPL. Maybe UPL will prove me wrong? Hope so. 

At this point I think him being a trade piece makes sense... he isnt your promise land goalie and so far you are getting comparable plus play our of Lyon... so roll with it...  just can we please not have Adams make the trade... if we can avoid it LOL 

[Night Train]

For now, yes. 

2 of those goals allowed last night were perfect tips. He had to scramble many other times during the game, coming out with great saves. Sabres didn't even try at the start of the 3rd and it's 5-4 in a blink. 

UPL has been hurt and was such a downer most games last year. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

No one is taking UPL off our hands even if Adams wanted to trade him.  No one is taking him because:

1.  He is not a good goalie.  He wasn’t good in the minors and except 2/3 of one season, he has been terrible in the NHL

2. He has a bad contract.  No one except Adams would be paying UPL 4.6 a season

3. He has a long injury history.  

 

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, JP51 said:

At this point I think him being a trade piece makes sense... he isnt your promise land goalie and so far you are getting comparable plus play our of Lyon... so roll with it...  just can we please not have Adams make the trade... if we can avoid it LOL 

Jarmo Kekalainen is around the Sabres front office a lot these days. In person from what I can gleam. 

[JP51]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

Jarmo Kekalainen is around the Sabres front office a lot these days. In person from what I can gleam. 

Much better idea than Adams... dont know if it is a better result... but much better idea ...  IMO... only question is now... or do you wait for a team to have an urgent need...