Buffalo Sabres Goalie Starts
2026-27 · 8-8-4 · 20 pts · 6th Atlantic
Who starts in goal for the Buffalo Sabres: every game of 2026-27 colour-coded by starting goalie, with each goalie's share of starts and how it has moved. G1 is the current starter, ranked on recent starts, so a goalie taking over the net moves up quickly.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has started 11 of 20 Sabres games (55%), 4 of the last 10. Colten Ellis has 7 starts and 1 relief appearance. Status: 1A/1B split.
G1StarterUkko-Pekka Luukkonen- Starts
- 11/20
- Share
- 55%
- Last 10
- 4
5-4-3 · .867 SV% · 1 relief · last start Nov 11
G2BackupColten Ellis- Starts
- 7/20
- Share
- 35%
- Last 10
- 4
3-3-0 · .873 SV% · 1 relief · last start Nov 8
Tonight's starter: Sabres starting goalies · Every team: NHL goalie starts by team
Every Sabres game by starting goalie
- G1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
- G2 Colten Ellis
- G3 Alex Lyon
Filled: started · half: relief · dot: dressed, did not play · blank: not dressed · ▲ second game of a back-to-back
Buffalo Sabres goalie patterns
- Back-to-backs: 2 second games so far, started by Alex Lyon 1, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen 1.
- Home and road: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen started 5 of 10 home games and 6 of 10 road games.
- Pulled starters: a reliever came in 2 times (10% of games).
Game log
Every game: starter, saves and result (20 games)
| # | Date | Opp | Starter | Saves | Result | Relief |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Nov 14 | @ DAL | G3 Alex Lyon | 28/30 | L | – |
| 19 | Nov 12 ▲ | @ CHI | G3 Alex Lyon | 22/25 | OTL | – |
| 18 | Nov 11 | vs TBL | G1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 9/14 | L | Colten Ellis |
| 17 | Nov 8 | vs VGK | G2 Colten Ellis | 22/26 | L | – |
| 16 | Nov 6 | vs CBJ | G1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 24/26 | W | – |
| 15 | Nov 4 | vs OTT | G2 Colten Ellis | 28/30 | L | – |
| 14 | Oct 31 | @ LAK | G1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 27/29 | W | – |
| 13 | Oct 29 | @ ANA | G2 Colten Ellis | 29/35 | W | – |
| 12 | Oct 27 | @ SJS | G2 Colten Ellis | 23/23 | W | – |
| 11 | Oct 24 | @ WSH | G1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 30/34 | OTL | – |
| 10 | Oct 21 | vs PHI | G1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 24/27 | L | – |
| 9 | Oct 17 | @ MTL | G1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 30/34 | OTL | – |
| 8 | Oct 15 | @ TOR | G1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 26/30 | W | – |
| 7 | Oct 13 ▲ | @ MTL | G1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 35/38 | OTL | – |
| 6 | Oct 12 | vs FLA | G2 Colten Ellis | 7/9 | W | Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen |
| 5 | Oct 10 | vs UTA | G2 Colten Ellis | 26/30 | L | – |
| 4 | Oct 8 | vs DAL | G1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 14/18 | L | – |
| 3 | Oct 6 | vs MIN | G2 Colten Ellis | 18/20 | W | – |
| 2 | Oct 3 | vs CHI | G1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 12/15 | W | – |
| 1 | Oct 1 | @ CBJ | G1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 17/22 | L | – |
Goalie data stories
How the game changed, told through the numbers.
- The Schedule Got Kinder. The Second Night Didn’t. In the Original Six era about a third of NHL games were a team’s second night in a row, and one goalie played both.
- Hainsworth’s 22 Was Mostly Arithmetic George Hainsworth’s 22 shutouts in 1928-29 have stood for almost a century.
- A Shootout Shooter Needs More Than 200 Tries Before Skill Outweighs Luck. The Most Anyone Has Taken Is 135. T.J.
- The Last Goalie Who Played Every Night A rule ended the every-night goalie in the mid-1960s, and the 1990s brought him back.
Buffalo Sabres goalie starts FAQ
Who is the Buffalo Sabres starting goalie?
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is G1: 11 of 20 starts this season (55%) and 4 of the last 10.
How often does the Buffalo Sabres backup goalie start?
Colten Ellis has 7 starts (35% of games) plus 1 relief appearance.
Who starts the second game of Buffalo Sabres back-to-backs?
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen started 1 of 2 second games this season; the other goalies started 1.