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Lyon will protect the road goal versus the Bruins in Game 3 on Thursday, Scott McLaughlin of WEEI reports.
Lyon made seven saves in relief of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen during Game 2. The 33-year-old Lyon will make his first start this postseason, and a strong performance could help him take a larger share of playing time. He went 20-10-4 with a 2.77 GAA and a .906 save percentage over 36 regular-season appearances.
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Sabres' Noah Ostlund: Set to return for Game 3
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Ostlund (upper body) will return to action for Thursday's Game 3 against Boston, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports.
Ostlund missed the Sabres' final 10 regular-season games and first two postseason matchups, but he was trending in the right direction recently and will officially get the green light to return to action Thursday. Josh Norris (undisclosed) will be unavailable Thursday, so Ostlund centered the third line during morning skate and was part of the second power-play unit. Across 60 regular-season appearances this year, Ostlund recorded 11 goals, 16 assists, 30 blocked shots and 14 PIM while averaging 13:58 of ice time.
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Sabres' Josh Norris: Not available Thursday
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Norris (undisclosed) will not play in Boston for Game 3 on Thursday, Conor Ryan of The Boston Globe reports.
Head coach Lindy Ruff would not divulge the reason for Norris' absence, but ruled out an illness. Norris had a six-game point streak to end the regular season, but he was held off the scoresheet in the opening two games of the series. Noah Ostlund (upper body) will replace Norris in the lineup Thursday. Norris could return to action as early as Sunday for Game 4 in Boston.
Byram scored a goal on four shots and added two PIM in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Bruins in Game 2.
Byram ended a four-game point drought with the tally. He also has six shots on net, two hits and a plus-1 rating over two playoff contests so far. This is his third time in the postseason -- he logged 12 assists over 27 games across his previous two runs, which included being a Stanley Cup champion with the Avalanche in 2022. Byram had a career year this regular season with 11 goals and 42 points over 82 outings, and he has more playoff experience than many of his Sabres teammates, which could be valuable for this run.
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Sabres' Peyton Krebs: Finds twine in loss
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Krebs scored a goal, added two PIM and logged two hits in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Bruins in Game 2.
Krebs pulled the Sabres within two goals at 15:08 of the third period, but the Bruins were able to avoid blowing a four-goal lead. With a pair of points over two playoff contests, as well as four hits and a plus-4 rating, Krebs' first postseason run is off to a strong start. He is seeing top-six minutes at even strength, though he'd be a candidate to get shuffled down to the bottom six if the Sabres need to adjust their lines.
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Sabres' Noah Ostlund: Might be available for Thursday
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Ostlund (upper body) might be able to play in Game 3 against Boston on Thursday, per Jourdon LaBarber of the Sabres' official site.
Ostlund had 11 goals and 27 points in 60 regular-season appearances with Buffalo in 2025-26. He missed the Sabres' final 10 regular-season games and their first two playoff outings due to the injury. Jordan Greenway might be a healthy scratch if Ostlund is available Thursday.
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Sabres' Alex Lyon: Perfect in relief Tuesday
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Lyon turned aside all seven shots he faced after replacing Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen early in the third period Tuesday during the Sabres' 4-2 loss to the Bruins in Game 2 of their first-round series.
Luukkonen has looked shaky through the first two games of the series, coughing up seven goals on only 40 shots, so Lyon's strong play late Tuesday -- even if it did come after the game was all but out of reach -- will give coach Lindy Ruff something to think about heading into Game 3 on Thursday. The 33-year-old Lyon hasn't started a game since April 4 and hasn't won one since March 19, however. He finished the regular season with a 2.77 GAA and .906 save percentage over 36 outings.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Gets hook in Game 2 loss
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Luukkonen gave up four goals on 20 shots before being replaced by Alex Lyon early in the third period Tuesday during the Sabres' 4-2 loss to the Bruins in Game 2 of their first-round series.
After a scoreless first period, things fell apart for Buffalo in the second, and Luukkonen didn't help matters when he let a bouncing puck get past him for Boston's second goal on a backhand flip from center ice by Morgan Geekie. Lyon was perfect in relief in the final frame, creating a potential goaltending controversy for the Sabres heading into Game 3 on Thursday since Luukkonen has given up seven goals on only 40 shots through the first two games in the series.
Luukkonen is expected to protect the home net in Game 2 against Boston on Tuesday, according to Justin Alpert of the Sabres' official site.
During his NHL playoff debut, Luukkonen stopped 17 shots in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Bruins. Boston took a 2-0 lead at the 1:08 mark of the third before Buffalo rallied for the victory. Luukkonen had a shaky showing, but the team earned the win, and the experience he gained could be valuable as the series progresses.
Samuelsson scored a goal on two shots, added nine hits and blocked two shots in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Bruins in Game 1.
Samuelsson had a career year in the regular season, but he faded a bit at the end with just seven points over his last 20 outings. In total, he had 13 goals and 41 points over 78 regular-season appearances. Samuelsson also logged 132 hits, 154 blocked shots and a plus-41 rating, so he'll provide some grit on the blue line in a top-four role.
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Sabres' Alex Tuch: Picks up two points in win
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Tuch scored an empty-net goal on four shots, added an assist, doled out 10 hits and went plus-2 in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Bruins in Game 1.
Tuch upped the intensity for the postseason -- he didn't have more than five hits in any regular-season game. The veteran winger is coming off a regular season in which he produced 66 points, 195 shots on net, 90 blocked shots, 82 hits and 57 PIM over 79 appearances in a top-six role. Unlike many of the Sabres, Tuch isn't in his first rodeo with postseason hockey -- he had 33 points over 66 playoff outings over four years with the Golden Knights. That will give Tuch valuable leadership experience on an inexperienced roster.
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Sabres' Tage Thompson: Leads charge with three points
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Thompson scored twice on seven shots, dished an assist, added two PIM, logged three hits and went plus-3 in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Bruins in Game 1.
Thompson was limited to three points over his last six outings of the regular season. The 28-year-old is getting his first taste of playoff action, but he should be able to adjust quickly to the increased physicality. Thompson will be counted on as a key part of the Sabres' offense after posting a 40-goal, 81-point regular season over 81 appearances. He will continue to work on the top line and first power-play unit.
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Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Secures Game 1 win
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Luukkonen allowed three goals on 20 shots in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Bruins in Game 1.
It wasn't looking good for the Sabres for much of the game, but they rallied for four goals in a span of 6:46 during the third period. That gave them just enough of a cushion to weather a late comeback attempt by the Bruins. While it was far from a pretty outing, Luukkonen was able to get the win in his playoff debut. He had a good regular season with a 22-9-3 record, a 2.51 GAA and a .909 save percentage over 35 appearances. Luukkonen is set to be the Sabres' No. 1 goalie to start the postseason, though any struggles could open the door for Alex Lyon to get some game action. The Sabres host Game 2 on Tuesday.
Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Set for playoff debut
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Luukkonen will be between the home pipes in Game 1 against the Bruins on Sunday, per Heather Engel of NHL.com.
Luukkonen finished the regular season on a high note, winning three straight games and seven of his final nine. Across that nine-game stretch, the Finnish netminder surrendered more than three goals on just one occasion. The lone rough patch happened to come against the Bruins, though, a matchup in which Luukkonen allowed four goals on 31 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss March 25. Boston struggled away from TD Garden in 2025-26, posting a 16-16-9 record on the road, while the Sabres finished the regular season with a 26-10-5 record at KeyBank Center.
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