Postgame Report | Levi makes 31 saves in NHL debut as Sabres win in OT

Devon Levi signed his entry-level contract with the Buffalo Sabres earlier this month because he believed in what the organization was building and because he felt ready to be a part of it.
His decision felt warranted on both counts Friday. Jeff Skinner scored the overtime winner to clinch a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers in Levi's NHL debut, then immediately turned and pointed toward the 21-year-old goaltender at the opposite end of the ice.
Skinner rushed down the ice to embrace Levi, followed by a mob of their teammates.

"Kevyn Adams and the rest of the staff, that was their vision, to get a group of not only unbelievable hockey players, but unbelievable people," Levi said. "Just having their support, it means the world to me. Being on a team that is that close is where you want to be, so I'm just super grateful to be here."

Levi made 31 saves and became the third-youngest goaltender in Sabres history to win his NHL debut, trailing Tom Barrasso and Daren Puppa.
He was able to ease into the game thanks to a committed defensive effort in front of him. He faced just two shots in the first period, the first of which came with 9:42 remaining. The Sabres built a 2-0 lead on the strength of goals from JJ Peterka and Jordan Greenway.
"Once I faced a few shots, I was feeling good and I was ready to go," he said. "I just wanted the puck. I was hungry."
The Rangers fought back to tie the game when Adam Fox jammed in a loose puck from the paint with 10:15 remaining in the third period. Levi did his part to ensure the game went to overtime, stopping eight shots in the second period and 19 in the third.
Levi made a sprawling pad save on a one-timer from Kaapo Kakko late in the second period. He stretched the pad again to stop Jimmy Vesey on a put-back attempt early in the third. With 1:28 remaining in regulation, he swallowed a shot taken from the slot by Artemi Panarin.
He described the third period - and the pressure that came with it - as his favorite part of the night. He was asked specifically about staring down Panarin, one of the league's premier forwards.
"I love it," he said. "There's nothing else I'd rather [do]. That's why I'm there. I'm there to stop the puck. If I didn't want that to happen, I think there'd be something wrong. It's my job, so I just love what I do. No other guy I'd want in the slot with me one on one."

With each big save, the crowd of 18,009 in KeyBank Center chanted Levi's name.
"The fans were unreal," he said. "It's so nice having that support coming in as a new guy. It just makes it so much easier, to have a warm welcome from everyone. All the fans just like cheering your name, it's unbelievable."
Levi said Thursday that he had no plans to alter his routine in the NHL. True to his word, he dropped to his pads and meditated during TV timeouts as he did at Northeastern. It was the same game, he said, just another level.
The win over the Rangers solidified that belief.
"I learned that the NHL is hockey," he said. "It's just the game of hockey. It's the game that I've been playing my whole life. There's a lot of good players out there, but you know, it's been my dream to be challenged by the best and I'm finally here and have an opportunity right now.
"I learned a lot from this game. I thought I played well. I definitely know what I can improve on. I feel like I have more and I feel like I've been growing every day. I think this is a start to me kind of improving every single day and helping these guys hopefully go on a playoff run. That's kind of the goal.
"I'm just going to be working as hard as I can to be ready for the call and if I get the call I'm going to do everything I can to give these guys the best chance to win."

How it happened

FIRST PERIOD
The Sabres outshot the Rangers 11-2 and pulled ahead on Peterka's goal with 8:40 remaining in the period. Jack Quinn initiated the sequence with a shot on goal. Dylan Cozens pounced the rebound and found Peterka at the back door.

Levi made his first official save on a Jimmy Vesey shot from the left circle at 10:18. He later made a pad save in tight on Chris Kreider.
SECOND PERIOD
Greenway extended the Buffalo lead 7:39 into the period. The 6-foot-6 forward, returning from a four-game absence stemming from an upper-body injury, fended off defenseman Ben Harpur as he drove to the New York net and one-handed a shot off his backhand.

Kakko deflected a loose puck out of midair to put the Rangers on the board less than five minutes later. He had a chance to tie the game with a one-timer from the left circle late in the period, but Levi made a sprawling pad save to preserve the lead. The near-sellout crowd of 18,009 chanted his name in response to the save.

THIRD PERIOD
Levi inspired the crowd to chant his name a second time early in the period. He stopped a spinning shot from Barclay Goodrow in front, then stretched his right pad to rob Vesey on a put-back attempt.
The Rangers tied the game with 10:15 remaining. Levi made a series of saves from in tight before Fox jammed home a loose puck in the blue paint.
OVERTIME
Levi stopped both shots he saw, denying Filip Chytil and Artemi Panarin on consecutive attempts.
Then with 3:10 remaining, Skinner tallied the sixth overtime goal of his career to give Buffalo the extra point.

What we learned

1. Levi took the customary solo lap to open warmups.

His family was in attendance and shared their thoughts on what tonight meant for them in an interview during the game:

Read more about Levi's journey to the NHL here.
2. Mattias Samuelsson returned from an eight-game absence stemming from an upper-body injury and skated 22:13 with three hits and two blocked shots.
3. Tage Thompson missed a second straight game with an upper-body injury. He was described as a game-time decision Friday morning.
4.Tonight's win was Buffalo's 36th of the season, the team's highest win total since they earned 39 wins in 2011-12.
5. Dan Dunleavy and Martin Biron continued their annual support of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center's Bald for Bucks initiative by shaving their heads live on MSG to raise funds for critical cancer research and patient-care programs.

Up next

The Sabres visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday. Coverage on MSG begins at 6:30 p.m. The puck drops at 7 on MSG and WGR 550.