Sabres goalie Alex Lyon out with lower-body injury for 'a bit of time'
The Buffalo Sabres will be without goalie Alex Lyon for "a bit of time" due to a lower-body injury.
The United States' Tage Thompson watches as Finland's Jesper Mattila crashes into the boards
during a May 22 quarterfinal match at the world championships in Stockholm, Sweden. Petr David Josek, Associated Press
The Buffalo Sabres will enter the new year without a significant piece of the roster who has helped them to a nine-game winning streak over the last three weeks.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said Wednesday at American Airlines Center that goalie Alex Lyon has returned to Buffalo for further medical evaluation of a lower-body injury he suffered late in the third period of a 4-2 win Monday at St. Louis.
Lyon completed the game and made 16 saves but did not skate Tuesday with the Sabres during practice in Dallas, then was not on the ice for the morning skate ahead of the Sabres’ 8 p.m. ET game Wednesday against the Stars. The Sabres began the day within reach of tying a franchise record of 10 consecutive wins, which was last accomplished Nov. 8-27, 2018.
“We’ll let our doctors take a look, and we know it’s going to be a bit of time,” Ruff said.
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon eyes the puck during the second period of their game against the New York Islanders
on Dec. 20 at KeyBank Center. Lyon suffered a lower-body injury Monday at St. Louis. Joed Viera, Buffalo News
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was in the starter’s net Wednesday at American Airlines Center, and goalie Colten Ellis also was on the ice.
Ellis was activated off injured reserve Wednesday afternoon. Ellis originally went on injured reserve Dec. 11, two days after he suffered a concussion, when he was hit by Edmonton’s David Tomasek late in the first period of the Sabres’ 4-3 overtime win at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Lyon relieved Ellis in that game, the first win of the Sabres’ current nine-game winning streak.
Lyon is 10-6-3 in 21 games this season – including seven wins between Dec. 9 and Wednesday during the Sabres’ run of nine consecutive wins – and has a goals-against average of 2.82, a save percentage of .906 and one shutout.
Luukkonen and Ellis, who is currently on injured reserve, were on the ice Tuesday at American Airlines Center.
Luukkonen is now poised to resume his spot as the Sabres’ No. 1 goalie in Lyon’s absence. Luukkonen is 6-5-1 with a goals against average of 2.58 and a save percentage of .897 in 12 games this season. He missed the first two weeks of the regular season with separate injuries before to training camp and during the preseason.
Luukkonen has started two of the Sabres’ last four games, with 26 saves in a 3-1 win Dec. 21 at New Jersey and 21 saves in a 4-1 win Saturday against Boston at KeyBank Center.
“I’m really used to starting a lot of games,” Luukkonen said Wednesday after the morning skate. “Nothing new to me. I don’t know if it’s a bump up or what do you want to call it, but it has been good for us, and we’ve been having a good rotation here, during the winning streak. Nothing new to me, nothing too crazy.”
Ellis is 4-3 in eight games this season, with a goals-against average of 3.25 and a save percentage of .895, and his last playing time came in the win at Edmonton. Once Ellis is activated from injured reserve, he will return to the lineup after a three-week absence. The Sabres placed the rookie goalie on injured reserve Dec. 11. Ellis resumed skating with the team Dec. 18 once he exited concussion protocol.
Report: Thompson part of Team USA
Tage Thompson is on the verge of representing the United States at the Olympics.ESPN's Emily Kaplan reported Wednesday that the Sabres' forward, Utah right wing Clayton Keller and Florida defenseman Seth Jones have made the U.S. men's hockey team for the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will be held from Feb. 6-22 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin was named to Sweden's Olympic team in June as part of its preliminary six-man roster. Team Canada also announced its full Olympic men's hockey roster Wednesday.
The entire U.S. team roster will be announced Friday morning on NBC's "Today" show, during the 8 a.m. hour. Team USA, though, was informing players Wednesday of their status with the team, whether they made the Olympic team or not, and roster spots are trickling out two days in advance of the official unveiling.
USA Hockey will also announce the rosters for the U.S. women's team and the U.S. Paralympic sled hockey teams for the Winter Games.
Thompson was a reserve for the 4 Nations Face-Off in February and did not play. At the IIHF World Championships in May in Sweden, Thompson's overtime goal gave the United States its first tournament title since 1933.
He and teammate Alex Tuch took part in Team USA’s orientation camp in August in Michigan, and Thompson is the Sabres’ leading goal-scorer (16) and leading scorer (34 points) but is a minus-11, ahead of an 8 p.m. game Wednesday at Dallas.