BUFFALO – The Sabres have three healthy goalies again.
Rookie Colten Ellis rejoined his teammates for this morning’s pregame skate after clearing concussion protocol.
“He’s back at it,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said this morning in KeyBank Center. “So he’ll get some practices in him and make sure he feels good.”
Ellis, 25, left the Sabres’ 4-3 overtime win Dec. 9 in Edmonton in the first period when Oilers forward David Tomasek drove to the net and hit him in the head.
But how much longer will the Sabres, who play the Philadelphia Flyers tonight, carry three goalies? In the near future, they could move a netminder.
New general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said on Tuesday “we’re probably to a point where we’re going to have to start making decisions to get down to a two-goalie rotation.”
Goalie Alex Lyon took shots this morning in the net normally reserved for that night’s starter. Lyon has started the last two games and appeared in four straight contests. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will likely back him up.
Meanwhile, Ruff said defenseman Conor Timmins, who did not skate this morning, will be a game-time decision because of an undisclosed injury. Defenseman Michael Kesselring is set to return from an ankle sprain that sidelined him the last 14 games.
In other lineup news, Ruff said winger Peyton Krebs, who missed Wednesday’s practice because of illness, believes he can play. Krebs skated this morning.