Ellis - Buffalo Hockey Beat

After injury costs him Olympics, Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen focused on earning playoff spot

BUFFALO – When reality set in and Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen realized his lower-body injury would force him to miss the Olympics, he felt crushed.

Luukkonen had long hoped he could represent Team Finland at the Milano Cortina Games, and early last month, he earned a coveted roster spot.

Then on Jan. 27 in Toronto, nine days before the NHL paused its season for the tournament, he tweaked something early in the Sabres’ ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Devon Levi happy with Rochester, no longer feels ‘rushed’

BRIGHTON – These days, Devon Levi possesses a narrow focus. Naturally, the Buffalo Sabres prospect thinks about his future. But by embracing what the present offers him, he believes he can achieve his ultimate goal of becoming an elite NHL goalie.

Almost three years after nearly backstopping the Sabres to an unlikely playoff berth just weeks out of college, Levi, 24, has spent all season with the Rochester Americans.

“I know that over time I’ll ... Read the full article

After tying 49-year-old record, Sabres goalie Alex Lyon enjoys special chat with Gerry Desjardins

BUFFALO – Early Sunday, less than a day after Sabres goalie Alex Lyon tied the franchise’s all-time record for most consecutive wins, his phone rang. On the other end, Gerry Desjardins, who had owned the mark for 49 years, wanted to chat.

For about the next 20 minutes, Lyon, 33, and Desjardins, 81, talked about the craft of goaltending and the unique mentality needed to play hockey’s most demanding position.

“It was interesting that we ... Read the full article

In trying season, Rasmus Dahlin enjoys dynamic night in win over Maple Leafs; Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen injured

TORONTO – Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin processed the question following his dynamic three-goal, five-point performance in Tuesday’s 7-4 win over the Maple Leafs and searched for the right words.

The defenseman never quite found them.

Over the last seven months, Dahlin has been through, for lack of a better word, hell.

In September, he revealed his fiancée, Carolina Matovac, has been rehabbing after experiencing major heart failure and undergoing a heart transplant in the ... Read the full article

Sabres will likely play rookie Colten Ellis against Panthers, make lineup change

BUFFALO – Tonight’s contest begins a dizzying stretch of eight games over the next 13 days for the Sabres, including three in the next four days.

So expect both of their goalies, Colten Ellis and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, to earn starts throughout one of the busiest stretches this season.

Ellis, who this morning manned the net usually reserved for that night’s starter, is expected to face the Florida Panthers tonight at KeyBank Center.

“We’ve kind of ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Michael Kesselring nears return from injury; Buffalo makes recall

BUFFALO – In the games before a high ankle sprain forced him out of the lineup again, Sabres defenseman Michael Kesselring started to find a rhythm and feel more like himself.

Kesselring, 25, said he carried the puck more often and made plays, signs he was getting his legs back and developing confidence.

But the newcomer, who has missed the last three games, wasn’t 100 percent.

On Dec. 23 in Ottawa, he tweaked his ankle. ... Read the full article

As Sabres keep winning, comparisons to 2005-06 team only inevitable

BUFFALO – Almost fittingly, you must go back 20 years, to the first half of the 2005-06 season, to find the last time the Sabres won 12 times in a 13-game stretch.

Inevitably, whenever the Sabres get hot – and they’re scorching entering tonight’s contest against the Anaheim Ducks at KeyBank Center, the start of a five-game home stand – comparisons materialize to that beloved post-lockout team that will be honored before Thursday’s game.

Heck, ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Colten Ellis ready to start; Jiri Kulich ‘progressing’

BUFFALO – Following nearly a month on the sideline, Sabres goalie Colten Ellis is expected to start tonight’s road game against the New York Rangers, his first outing since suffering a concussion Dec. 9 in Edmonton.

A lot has happened since the rookie left the Sabres’ 4-3 overtime victory against the Oilers, a triumph that ignited a 10-game win streak.

Alex Lyon, who replaced Ellis, morphed into the NHL’s hottest goalie before suffering a lower-body ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Zach Metsa impressive in limited action; Buffalo adds defender

BUFFALO – In his first days here, Sabres defenseman Zach Metsa acknowledged his new surroundings felt “a little bit intimidating.”

“You come to a new spot, new group, new guys around you,” Metsa told the Times Herald prior to scoring his first NHL goal and point in Tuesday’s 5-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in KeyBank Center.

As an older, under-the-radar prospect who played on an AHL contract for two seasons, Metsa, 27, usually spent ... Read the full article

Expect Sabres rookie goalie Colten Ellis to play again soon

BUFFALO – Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will start again tonight against the Vancouver Canucks, his third straight nod and fifth in the last seven games.

In the near future, expect the Finn, who has played every game since Alex Lyon suffered a lower-body injury, to earn a breather and take a backseat to Colten Ellis.

The Sabres play a road game Thursday against the New York Rangers before kicking off a five-game home stand Saturday ... Read the full article