Colten Ellis Shines as Sabres Snap Wild’s Streak with Gritty Shootout Win
BUFFALO - After a four-game breather, Colten Ellis stepped back into the crease and delivered exactly what the Sabres needed: poise, confidence, and some clutch saves down the stretch. In Saturday night’s 3-2 shootout win over the Minnesota Wild, Ellis stopped 22 shots-including the final 14 he faced-to help Buffalo halt Minnesota’s seven-game win streak.
The 25-year-old netminder didn’t ease into this one. Just over a minute in, he had to turn away a wraparound attempt from Kirill Kaprizov-one of the league’s most dynamic scorers. But Ellis was locked in early and never looked rattled.
Fast forward to overtime, and the rookie was still dialed in, calmly denying two close-range chances from Brock Faber. It was a composed, confident performance that showed why the Sabres took a chance on him earlier this season.
“I think that’s kind of what makes me me,” Ellis said after the game in St. Paul.
“So just because it’s OT I’m not going to change anything in my game. The more comfortable I get just sticking to that, I think that’s what’s going to bring me success.”
Ellis, a preseason waiver pickup, had recently started four of five games before head coach Lindy Ruff rotated in Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon. But with Ellis back in form and Ruff known for riding the hot hand, don’t be surprised if he gets the nod again Monday when the Sabres host the Winnipeg Jets.
Saturday’s win also made Ellis the first Sabres goalie this season to reach four wins-a telling stat in a season where consistency in net has been hard to come by.
“He gave us a solid game,” Ruff said. “I thought once he settled in, there were probably three or four saves that were key saves inside the game.”
Line Shakeups Spark Sabres After Friday’s Blowout Loss
Less than 24 hours after a rough 5-0 home loss to the Devils, Ruff wasn’t about to roll out the same combinations. He shuffled the deck in Minnesota, most notably bumping Tyson Kozak up to skate alongside Zach Benson and Tage Thompson.
With the Sabres struggling on the road-just one win away from home entering Saturday-Ruff was looking for a jolt.
“We haven’t been winning on the road,” Ruff said. “We thought back-to-back games, try to balance them. The thoughts on some lines, try to get better in the faceoff dots, or put Kozy with Tommer, and they could take the left-handed and right-handed draws, and they could kind of split time at center ice.”
The move gave the lineup a more balanced look and injected some needed energy. Rookie Noah Ostlund centered a line with Josh Doan and Alex Tuch, while Josh Dunne anchored a fourth unit with Peyton Krebs and Beck Malenstyn-who opened the scoring for Buffalo.
Doan added a goal of his own in quirky fashion, when Mats Zuccarello tried to glove his shot off the glass but accidentally redirected it into his own net.
“I think we got rewarded for our break,” Ruff said. “We had a lot of good opportunities that didn’t go in. But by playing the game the right way, we finally caught a break.”
Malenstyn’s goal came on a deflection in front, the kind of gritty, net-front play that can swing momentum on the road.
“We got a great game out of the fourth line,” Ruff added. “Got good energy, got a goal out of them. I thought it was where on the road against a good team-a team that was on a roll-we played the game the right way all night.”
One line Ruff didn’t touch? The trio of Ryan McLeod, Jason Zucker, and Jack Quinn, who stayed intact throughout.
Ostlund Delivers in the Shootout with a “Sick” Move
When the shootout reached the fifth round and the score was still tied, Ruff made a bold call-sending out Noah Ostlund, the 21-year-old rookie with just 25 NHL games under his belt.
So why Ostlund?
“We had kind of done some research on the reports from the minors, and what came back is they said, ‘He’s sick. He’s got some sick moves,’” Ruff explained.
Ostlund lived up to the scouting report. He pulled off a smooth backhand-to-forehand deke to beat Filip Gustavsson and seal the win.
“It was a sick move,” Ruff said, echoing the scouting report with a smile.
And it made perfect sense. With so little NHL tape on Ostlund, the Wild had no real read on him. Sometimes, a little mystery goes a long way in a shootout.
Looking Ahead
The Sabres will host the Winnipeg Jets on Monday before hitting the road for a six-game trip that won’t see them back at KeyBank Center until December 18. With Jets star netminder Connor Hellebuyck sidelined for the next several weeks following knee surgery, former Sabres goalie Eric Comrie has taken over the crease duties in Winnipeg.
Buffalo had Sunday off-a well-earned rest after a gritty win that showed they can respond when the pressure’s on. And with Ellis heating up and the lineup clicking in new ways, Monday’s matchup could be another step forward for a team still trying to find its rhythm.