Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon was watching Tuesday’s first period from the Scotiabank Arena locker room when Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen exited with a lower-body injury. Colten Ellis entered in relief, making 16 saves in a 7-4 Sabres win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Lyon, a healthy scratch for the night, sprung into action, preparing as the emergency backup in case anything happened to Ellis. Usually he needs 20 minutes to get ready; on Tuesday he did it in eight.
Coach Lindy Ruff had no update on Luukkonen after Wednesday’s practice, but the Sabres are well equipped to survive whatever time he might miss. Each goalie has gone down with injury this season, yet Buffalo’s .897 save percentage ranks 11th in the NHL. And all…