An impressive performance by goaltender Alex Lyon was not enough for the Buffalo Sabres, who lost 2-1 in overtime to the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday at KeyBank Center.
The Sabres have recorded a 5-1-4 record over their last ten games and are currently on a seven-game point streak. However, they have been unable to secure a win in any of their four games that have gone to 3-on-3 overtime. In this latest contest, Alex Tuch had an early chance denied by Utah’s Karel Vejmelka before Clayton Keller scored the game-winning goal shortly after.
Coach Lindy Ruff addressed the team’s difficulties in overtime: “After the shot on goal, instead of Tuch backing out, I’d like to see him stay in,” Ruff said. “We were still above the puck. … We backed out and said, ‘Here, you guys come at us.’
“… We had our chance, and then our coverage wasn’t good enough. We lost coverage again on the high cycle, and we let Keller walk in. He shouldn’t get that easy a look.”
Buffalo generated several scoring opportunities during regulation play but could not convert them into goals. Jack Quinn had a close-range attempt, Michael Kesselring received an open pass near the net, and Tage Thompson took a strong shot from distance—all stopped by Vejmelka during his nine-save first period. The Sabres also failed to capitalize on later breakaway and odd-man rushes.
Utah controlled much of the second and third periods with a 27-8 advantage in shots but managed only one goal against Lyon—Nick Schmaltz’s tally early in the third period.
Lyon finished with 33 saves overall, including 12 considered high-danger chances according to Natural Stat Trick. Despite Utah generating nearly four expected goals (3.95), they only beat Lyon twice.
“Played great,” Ruff said about Lyon’s effort as starting goalie for ten of Buffalo’s first thirteen games this season. “… With the number of [injuries] and the pieces we had to move around, we needed our goalie to play well. He played really well for us.”
Buffalo secured one point from Noah Ostlund’s first NHL goal with just over twelve minutes left in regulation time. Ostlund was called up from Rochester earlier that day; after missing his initial shot following a passing sequence with Isak Rosen, Rosen tipped the puck off the top of the net—within legal height limits—for Ostlund to score.
“It was a cool moment,” Ostlund said after playing his thirteenth career game. “I was a little bit scared from the high stick there by Rosie, but I’m happy for it.”
This followed Rosen scoring his own first NHL goal in Buffalo’s previous game. With six forwards unavailable due to injury or illness—Josh Norris, Jason Zucker, Zach Benson, Jiri Kulich, Tyson Kozak and Justin Danforth—the Sabres have relied on contributions from recent first-round picks like Ostlund and Rosen.
“We need their skill, we need their scoring ability that they’ve shown in the minors,” Ruff said. “This is the next step for them. This is the opportunity they’re waiting for. All of a sudden, they get 14, 15 minutes, and I think they’ve taken advantage of it. Both guys have played extremely well for us.”
This marks Buffalo’s first run of five consecutive overtime games since March 2022—a notable stretch as teams seek every possible point amid tight Eastern Conference standings one month into the season.
“If we find a way to keep getting points, find a way to continue to stick around, that’s a good thing,” Lyon said. “I also think the next step is available for us where maybe we start to take over. But credit to the guys – continued to battle all night with a tough lineup situation.”
The Sabres will conclude their three-game homestand Thursday against St. Louis—the opening match of seven scheduled “Throwback Thursday” events this season where Buffalo will wear black-and-red uniforms.
Tickets remain available online.
MSG will begin pregame coverage at 6:30 p.m., ahead of puck drop at 7 p.m.
