Anders Lindback is drawing a lot of attention for the Buffalo Sabres.
The goaltender, who was acquired as part of the Jhonas Enroth trade with the Dallas Stars, is playing incredibly well between the Sabres pipes.
Buffalo currently holds the worst record in the NHL, which gives them the highest chance of landing potential No.1 pick Connor McDavid in the draft, but an oddity has come to fruition. Lindback is playing so well that Buffalo is earning points they don't need if they want the greatest chance of acquiring the top draft spot.
The 26-year-old Lindback, who has been learning from goaltending coach Arturs Irbe, has a 1-3-2 record since coming to the Sabres, which doesn't stand out as impressive. What does stand out is his .934 save percentage. Lindback has been pelted with 234 shots and he's done an admirable job of stopping a lot of them, but stats don't mean a thing to the netminder - wins do.
“I don't really care about stats,” Lindback told John Vogl of the Buffalo News on Thursday.
“I only care about winning. That's why you play hockey. You can have the worst save percentage. If you're winning and playing on a winning team, that's all that matters.”
Lindback credits his success to a number of things, including the aid and advice of Irbe and another mentor in former Nashville Predators teammate Pekka Rinne, who he backed up for two seasons.
“Pekka Rinne was awesome to me from day one,” said Lindback.
“He really influenced me both on and off the ice with how hard he works and his goalie style, too.”
Perhaps the biggest contributor to the success of the mammoth goalie, who stands six-foot-six, is patience with himself and the game.
“The more games you play, the more comfortable you feel in there,” he said.
“When I get to play, I feel somewhat relaxed and I don't overplay situations. I stay a little calmer in the net than I do when I play every third or second week. It's like you want it so much and it's hard to stay composed and just wait for it.”
The Sabres host the New Jersey Devils on Friday. A win from Buffalo moves them one point closer to the Arizona Coyotes in the battle for last place in the standings.
