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Avalanche vs Sabres Game Overview
COL vs BUFRecords
Head-To-HeadLast 10
Win / Loss
8-2
Over / Under
5-5-0
| Date | Home | Result | ML | O/U | HSOG | ASOG | HPP | APP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 02, '25 | COL |
6 - 5 (OT)
|
COL -200 | o6.5 | 29 | 21 | 1-3 | 2-3 |
| Dec 03, '24 | BUF |
5 - 4
|
COL -148 | o6.0 | 30 | 41 | 0-3 | 0-1 |
| Dec 13, '23 | COL |
5 - 1
|
COL -184 | u7.0 | 29 | 30 | 1-2 | 0-2 |
| Oct 29, '23 | BUF |
4 - 0
|
BUF +171 | u6.5 | 29 | 23 | 0-3 | 0-6 |
| Dec 15, '22 | COL |
4 - 2
|
BUF +154 | u6.5 | 41 | 21 | 0-2 | 1-2 |
| Dec 01, '22 | BUF |
6 - 4
|
COL -170 | o6.5 | 28 | 34 | 2-7 | 3-6 |
| Feb 19, '22 | BUF |
5 - 3
|
COL -409 | o6.0 | 32 | 36 | 0-1 | 0-2 |
| Jan 30, '22 | COL |
4 - 1
|
COL -576 | u6.5 | 36 | 31 | 1-4 | 0-4 |
| Feb 26, '20 | COL |
3 - 2
|
COL -199 | u6.0 | 34 | 33 | 2-3 | 0-2 |
| Feb 04, '20 | BUF |
6 - 1
|
COL -178 | o6.0 | 24 | 27 | 0-2 | 0-0 |
COL vs BUF Preview
Last Meeting ( Jan 2, 2025 ) Buffalo 5, Colorado 6
The Buffalo Sabres are out to avoid their second consecutive 0-3 start as they host the Colorado Avalanche for a Monday afternoon contest.
Buffalo, which has the league's worst goal differential at minus-6, comes off a 3-1 loss Saturday that left coach Lindy Ruff highly displeased with his team.
On Saturday, the Sabres fell behind the host Boston Bruins 2-0 after two periods. Jason Zucker scored the team's first goal of the season midway through the third, but it failed on four power-play chances.
"I thought our compete was terrible," Ruff said. "Worst competing, skating, moving feet that I've seen."
Asked to explain further, he called out his team's play away from the puck.
"I thought we played some one-on-one hockey," Ruff added. "We didn't move our feet. We didn't win races for the puck."
Now, the team that shares the longest playoff drought in North American professional sports with the NFL's New York Jets (14 seasons), faces the Avalanche, one of the top teams in the NHL.
Colorado is coming off its first loss of the season, a 5-4 shootout defeat Saturday to the Dallas Stars in Denver. The Avalanche played catch-up for most of the game as they were down 1-0, 3-2 and 4-3 before Nathan MacKinnon's power-play goal with 9:14 left in the third forced overtime and gave the hosts a point.
Colorado coach Jared Bednar called the loss the Avalanche's "most dangerous offensive game of the year, by a mile." He especially liked the play of his top line of MacKinnon, Artturi Lehkonen and Martin Necas. All three found the back of the net Saturday, with MacKinnon and Necas both adding two assists.
While MacKinnon and Necas played together for a third of last season after the Avalanche traded Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Panthers for Necas, there's still a feeling-out process between the forwards. Bednar noted that both skaters were "bumping into each other all over the ice" after Necas first arrived.
"They want to go to the same spots," he added. "So, it's awareness, recognition and being flexible in where you want to go. I think Marty will learn that. I think Nate's learning that, showing up in different areas of the ice, getting dangerous, both five-on-five and on the power play."
Monday's holiday afternoon game could be the first time either team goes to its backup goalie for a start. In Buffalo, which plays Ottawa on Wednesday night, that would be Colten Ellis.
The 25-year-old Ellis has yet to play in the NHL and was set to start the season with the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds before the Sabres claimed him off waivers from the St. Louis Blues.
That was necessary after Buffalo placed projected starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen on injured reserve before the season with a lower-body injury. Alex Lyon has started both games, and the 32-year-old has posted a 2.55 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage.
For Colorado, Scott Wedgewood has started all three games and posted a 1.95 GAA and .925 save percentage. Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood (lower-body injury) won't join the team on the two-game road trip that concludes Thursday in Columbus.
If Wedgewood does not start, that would put Trent Miner in net. Miner, 24, played in two games last season, starting one, for Colorado. He saved 29 of 33 shots (.879) and recorded a 2.62 GAA.
--Field Level Media
COL vs BUFInjury report
Colorado's Injuries
| Player | POS | Status | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R. Colton | C | Day To Day - Upper Body( Mar 18, '26) | Mar 18, '26 | |
| Colton did not play on Wednesday's (Mar. 18) game versus the Stars. | ||||
| L. O'Connor | RW | Out - Hip( Mar 16, '26) | Mar 16, '26 | |
| The Avalanche said on Tuesday (Mar. 17) that O'Connor will go on the road trip with the Avalanche and won’t be doing any AHL conditioning stints. | ||||
| G. Landeskog | LW | Out - Lower-Body( Mar 07, '26) | Mar 07, '26 | |
| The Avalanche said that Landeskog is week-to-week and won't play against Minnesota on Sunday (Mar. 8). | ||||
| A. Lehkonen | LW | Out - Upper-body( Mar 02, '26) | Mar 02, '26 | |
| The Avalanche said that Lehkonen is OUT for Tuesday's (Mar. 3) game against the Ducks and is expected to miss some time, per Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette. | ||||
Buffalo's Injuries
| Player | POS | Status | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T. Pearson | LW | Day To Day - Lower-Body( Mar 19, '26) | Mar 19, '26 | |
| Pearson did not play in Thursday's (Mar. 19) versus the Sharks. | ||||
| J. Kulich | C | Out For Season - Ear( Mar 05, '26) | Mar 05, '26 | |
| The Sabres said that Kulich is expected to miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season. | ||||
| J. Greenway | LW | Out - Abdomen( Feb 24, '26) | Feb 24, '26 | |
| The Buffalo Sabres placed F Jordan Greenway on injured reserve on Wednesday (Feb. 25). | ||||
| C. Timmins | D | Out - Leg( Feb 17, '26) | Feb 17, '26 | |
| The Buffalo Sabres said on Wednesday (Feb. 18) that Timmins is now skating but not in day-to-day status. | ||||
| J. Danforth | RW | Out - Lower Body( Jan 25, '26) | Jan 25, '26 | |
| The Buffalo Sabres said on Monday (Jan. 26) that Danforth is trending toward a post-Olympic return to action, per Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. | ||||
GoaltendersLast 5
W/L
2-2-0-1
GAA
1.83
Save %
.909
| Date | Score | W/L | GA | SA | SV% | SO | ML | O/U | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S.Wedgewood | Oct 11, 2025 | COL 4 - DAL 5 (SO) | - | 4 | 22 | .818 | - | L -138 | o6.5 |
| S.Wedgewood | Oct 9, 2025 | COL 2 - UTAH 1 | W | 1 | 33 | .970 | - | W -194 | u6.5 |
| S.Wedgewood | Oct 7, 2025 | LA 1 - COL 4 | W | 1 | 25 | .960 | - | W -113 | u5.5 |
| S.Wedgewood | Oct 4, 2025 | DAL 3 - COL 2 | - | 2 | 13 | .846 | - | L +205 | u5.5 |
| T.Miner | Oct 4, 2025 | DAL 3 - COL 2 | L | 1 | 13 | .923 | - | L +205 | u5.5 |
| S.Wedgewood | Oct 1, 2025 | VEG 2 - COL 1 | L | 2 | 32 | .938 | - | L -115 | u5.5 |
W/L
1-3-1-0
GAA
2.29
Save %
.875
| Date | Score | W/L | GA | SA | SV% | SO | ML | O/U | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.Lyon | Oct 11, 2025 | BOS 3 - BUF 1 | L | 2 | 30 | .933 | - | L -102 | u5.5 |
| A.Lyon | Oct 9, 2025 | BUF 0 - NYR 4 | L | 3 | 32 | .906 | - | L +100 | u6.5 |
| A.Lyon | Oct 3, 2025 | PIT 5 - BUF 4 (OT) | - | 2 | 13 | .846 | - | L -115 | o6.5 |
| A.Georgiev | Oct 3, 2025 | PIT 5 - BUF 4 (OT) | - | 3 | 17 | .824 | - | L -115 | o6.5 |
| U.Luukkonen | Oct 1, 2025 | BUF 3 - PIT 5 | - | 1 | 12 | .917 | - | L -250 | o6.5 |
| A.Georgiev | Oct 1, 2025 | BUF 3 - PIT 5 | L | 3 | 13 | .769 | - | L -250 | o6.5 |
| A.Lyon | Sep 27, 2025 | BUF 5 - DET 2 | W | 2 | 28 | .929 | - | W -185 | o6.5 |
COL vs BUFStats
Offense vs Defense
Goals
| OFFENSE |
Stat | DEFENSE |
|---|---|---|
| 3.33 | Total | 3.50 |
| 0.33 | 1st Period | 1.00 |
| 1.67 | 2nd Period | 0.50 |
| 1.33 | 3rd Period | 2.00 |
| 0.00 | OT | 0.00 |
Shots
| OFFENSE |
Stat | DEFENSE |
|---|---|---|
| 29.67 | Total | 32.00 |
| 11.67 | 1st Period | 16.50 |
| 7.67 | 2nd Period | 7.00 |
| 10.00 | 3rd Period | 8.50 |
| 0.33 | OT | 0.00 |
Shot Pct vs. Save Pct
| SHOOTING |
Stat | SAVE PCT. |
|---|---|---|
| 0.11 | Total | 0.89 |
| 0.03 | 1st Period | 0.94 |
| 0.22 | 2nd Period | 0.93 |
| 0.13 | 3rd Period | 0.76 |
| 0.00 | OT | 0.00 |
Power Play vs Penalty Kill
| POWERPLAY |
Stat | PENALTY KILL |
|---|---|---|
| 3 - 15 | G/Att vs. GA/Att | 0 - 7 |
| 20.00 | PP % vs. PK % | 100.00 |
Goaltenders
| Colorado Goaltenders |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | S | SV | SV% | WL | ||
| Mackenzie Blackwood | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0-0-0 | ||
| Scott Wedgewood | 80 | 74 | 0.925 | 2-0-1 | ||