Sabres Notebook: Colten Ellis bursts on the scene with back-to-back wins in net
A waiver pickup from St. Louis at the end of training camp who was an ECHL player as recently as two years ago, Ellis is 3-1 with a 2.76 goals-against
Goalie Colten Ellis is putting up the numbers and the wins. That’s going to get you a regular turn in the Buffalo Sabres’ crease.
After getting wins in the last two games, Ellis took practice off Tuesday for rest in a busy week. It’s a clear sign he’s going to get another start Wednesday night when the Calgary Flames are in KeyBank Center.
A waiver pickup from St. Louis at the end of training camp who was an ECHL player as recently as two years ago, Ellis is 3-1 with a 2.76 goals-against average and .914 save percentage in his first four career NHL games.
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Colten Ellis (92) eyes the puck in the second period against the Edmonton Oilers at KeyBank Center on Nov. 17, 2025.
Joed Viera/Buffalo News
“It’s just kind of sticking to my routine and my process and the keys that have given me success,” Ellis, 25, said after Monday’s 5-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers. “I put a lot of work in on creating my game. No matter who you’re facing, you can’t stray away from what makes you the you as a goalie.”
The Sabres were methodical defensively in keeping Connor McDavid & Co. out of the middle and Ellis made 32 saves. His most significant came in the first eight seconds on a clear look from the slot by Oilers winger Zach Hyman.
“Being ready to go as soon as the puck drops is really important,” he said. “You don’t want to get caught chasing the game, get down early. I just tried to read the play best I could and I was able to make the save.”
Waivers are a funky thing, especially when it comes to the stress defensemen and goalies deal with. Coach Lindy Ruff reminisced Tuesday about the Sabres putting forward Jason Pominville on waivers early in 2005-06.
“There’s lots of great stories about patience,” Ruff said. “I was here the first time when we put Pominville on waivers and you would have never thought anything like that where he ended, what his career looked like.”
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Colten Ellis (92) makes a save in the third period against the Edmonton Oilers at KeyBank Center on Nov. 17, 2025.
Joed Viera/Buffalo News
Ruff said when Ellis was claimed at the end of training camp, the Sabres had intel from staff in Rochester on his play last season in Springfield as well as work from their pro scouting staff.
“You have to give our scouts a lot of credit that saw him play,” Ruff said. “Management and scouts were the guys that had him targeted as a guy that, if he went on waivers, should be somebody we would look at. Maybe it was the right place at the right time.”
“He’s been unbelievable with his stick. He plays the puck very well,” captain Rasmus Dahlin said Tuesday. “The saves he made, he was one of the biggest reasons we one that game. They could have had a goal the first shift ... He had a great game. He hasn’t played a lot of NHL games but he’s been better every night.”
Kesselring update
Ruff confirmed the expected news that defenseman Michael Kesselring will be out of the lineup an “extended period of time” with the lower-body injury he suffered Saturday in Detroit. Kesselring, who missed the first nine games of the season due to a knee injury, has played nine games with no points and a minus-3 rating.One piece of good news was that winger Zach Benson, out the last eight games with a lower-body issue, will likely start his return-to-play path at Wednesday’s morning skate.
Dahlin’s game picking up
Dahlin has clocked in at 27:05 and 24:02 in his first two games back after his leave of absence, compiling four assists and a plus-2 rating in some of his best play of the season.“I’m starting to find my game much better,” he said. “A little bit more competitive, a little more feisty skating with the puck. I’m going in the right direction.”
Dahlin said the Sabres have to learn from the 3-0 loss here to defensively challenged St. Louis on Nov. 6 when playing the last-place Flames.
“We know they should be super hungry because they need every single win,” he said. “We will learn from St. Louis and it’s not going to happen again.”