The Buffalo Sabres face the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday night at the Delta Center, both teams aiming to snap three-game losing streaks. Buffalo enters with a 5-6-4 record and seeks its first road win of the season at 0-3-2. Projected lineups feature Colten Ellis likely starting in net for the Sabres.
The Buffalo Sabres open a back-to-back road set against Western Conference foes, starting with the Utah Mammoth at 9 p.m. ET on November 12, 2025. Both teams are coming off recent losses, with Buffalo dropping a 6-3 decision to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday and Utah falling 4-2 to the Ottawa Senators on Sunday. The Sabres hold a 5-6-4 record, while the Mammoth sit at 9-7-0 after a strong 9-4-0 start marred by three straight regulation defeats.
Projected Lineups
For the Sabres, forward lines include Tage Thompson with Ryan McLeod and Alex Tuch, Josh Doan with Tyson Kozak and Jordan Greenway, Isak Rosen with Noah Ostlund and Jack Quinn, and Josh Dunne with Peyton Krebs and Beck Malenstyn. On defense, pairings are Bowen Byram with Conor Timmins, Jacob Bryson with Michael Kesselring, and Mattias Samuelsson with Owen Power. Goalies are Colten Ellis and Alex Lyon, with Ellis expected for his second NHL start since a 4-2 win over Detroit on October 22.
The Mammoth's forwards feature Clayton Keller with Logan Cooley and Nick Schmaltz, JJ Peterka with Barrett Hayton and Dylan Guenther, Lawson Crouse with Jack McBain and Michael Carcone, and Kailer Yamamoto with Kevin Stenlund and Brandon Tanev. Defensemen include Mikhail Sergachev with Dmitri Simashev, Nate Schmidt with John Marino, and Ian Cole with Nick DeSimone. Goalies are Karel Vejmelka and Vitek Vanecek.
Injuries and Notes
Buffalo is shorthanded without captain Rasmus Dahlin on personal leave in Sweden, and forwards Josh Norris (upper body), Justin Danforth (lower body), Zach Benson (lower body), Jiri Kulich (blood clot), and Jason Zucker (illness). Benson did not travel, and forward Carson Meyer was reassigned to the AHL's Rochester Americans. For Utah, injured players include Sean Durzi (upper body) and Alex Kerfoot (lower body).
Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring return to Delta Center as visitors after being acquired from Utah in a summer trade for JJ Peterka. Both started their careers with Arizona and played in the franchise's inaugural Salt Lake City season in 2024-25. "Playing them in Buffalo was cool, but I think tomorrow in Delta (Center) will be really special," Kesselring said. "The fans were unbelievable to me and Doaner last year."
The teams met earlier on November 4, with Utah winning 2-1 in overtime; Lyon made 33 saves against 18 high-danger chances. Utah has gone 0-for-13 on the power play over six games and allowed at least four goals in each of their last three losses. Alex Lyon addressed the challenges: "I’ve been in these situations before, where it’s like the chips are down, and those are the times you have to be at your best. You have to push through it and just can’t give yourself any excuses." He added, "We just have to get better at playing on the road. It’s a completely different skill than playing at home. Your details just have to be that much better."
Viewers can watch on MSG, Utah16, TVAS, or stream via Gotham Sports App and ESPN+ (out-of-market), with radio on WGR 550.
