Buffalo Sabres In The Playoffs: Who’s In Net?

Who Are The Sabres Goalies?

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is one of the Sabres goalies and has become one of their rising stars. He started with their farm team, the Rochester Americans, in 2019. From there, Luukkonen established a name for himself with the team and was recalled starting in 2022.

It wasn’t until the Sabres’ 2023-24 season that he was established as their starting goaltender.

Their second goalie is Alex Lyon, who approached UFA with the Detroit Red Wings. He was later acquired by the Sabres on July 1, 2025. By having Lyon, he would be able to be a backup for their starter, Luukkonen.

Colten Ellis is the third goalie on the roster. He was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 2019 and was claimed off waivers by the Sabres at the beginning of the 2025-26 season.

The Rotation

Even with Luukkonen as their starter, the Sabres had a rotation between him and Lyon. This rotation was put into practice in December and lasted until the end of the Sabres regular season.

It wasn’t until late January that it became evident how great the Sabres’ two goalies were. At the time, Lyon had one of the best records and streaks as a goaltender in the league. He had the third-highest save percentage with .945.

In that month, Lyon also marked his 10^th consecutive win and broke a franchise record for the Sabres. The Sabres record was originally set in 1976 with nine consecutive wins.

By alternating their goalies, the Sabres became even more of a powerhouse.

Luukkonen’s stats had also increased. He had a save percentage of .910, and through early January, he had a record of 22-9-3.

Colten Ellis, The Wild Card

The Sabres clinched the playoffs, but what would’ve been a decline in their performance became a seamless transition. It was announced in early April that Lyon sustained a lower-body injury and could miss the beginning of the playoffs.

However, the Sabres had Ellis in their back pocket. Ellis, who hadn’t played in a game since February, made his first career shutout on April 9. The Sabres had a rhythm of playing hockey, not doing anything fancy, and what would’ve been a disruption only added more security.

The Sabres In The Playoffs

With the playoffs in tow, Luukkonen had been the starter in the first two games. Was this pressure too much for him? In game two, he appeared to be shaky, even letting a puck in from the blue line. Head coach Lindy Ruff changed out Luukkonen with Lyon in the middle of the game. The Sabres ended up losing.

It was thought that Luukkonen would be the starting goalie for the Sabres in the playoffs. However, it was announced for Game 3 that Lyon would be in between the pipes. The Sabres won Game 3 against Boston.

Ruff doesn’t take his three goalies for granted. There have been times when Ruff had faith in Luukkonen. In March, the Sabres won the battle against the Tampa Bay Lightning 8-7. The media asked Ruff postgame if he considered swapping out Luukkonen for Lyon during the game.

“I did not,” Ruff said. “He’s in the battle too. Our goalies have been so good for us, I didn’t want to make this about the goaltender.”

Goalies with great talent and different styles make it fun to watch who ends up in the net on game day. They could all contribute differently to the playoffs, but their reliability is what makes this a tough decision.  

End Of Sabres Goalie Rant

With both Lyon and Luukkonen having one playoff win under their belt, the question of who will continue that momentum lingers. The two goalies are at different stages in their careers. Will this be about who can help bring the Sabres a cup or who has a chance to prove himself as a lasting asset for the team?