Ellis Helps To Erase Sabres Skid, Earns Shutout In San Jose

The Buffalo Sabres needed to a way to get in the win column after losing three straight and a number of narrow losses in the opening month of the season, and goalie Colten Ellis provided that push with a 23-save shutout in a 2-0 win over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. 

The Sabres goalie made an Olen Zellweger second period goal stand up, and Buffalo iced the win with Zach Benson scoring his first of the season late in regulation with Sharks goalie Yaroslav Askarov pulled for the extra attacker. 

“Put (Ellis’ performance) in the excellent category. We mishandled the puck early, about a minute and a half into the game, and he made a great save….making a save like that early, probably helps a goalie.” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said after the game. “(Colten is) a competitive kid. He’s given us some good hockey games. Today he gave us an excellent game. He made some timely saves at really big moments, that could’ve generated some energy for (San Jose) and he took it away from them.”

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The victory moved Buffalo into a tie with Detroit for seventh place in the Atlantic at 5-4-3 (13 points), with two games against Anaheim and Los Angeles left on their four-game Western road swing. The question will now be if the Sabres give Ellis another start after a good performance against the Ducks on Thursday. The club has struggled with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen over his five consecutive starts, allowing 30 or more shots in the four of his five straight starts and going 1-1-3.  

In other Atlantic Division news, the Toronto Maple Leafs lost winger Kirill Marchenko with a knee injury in a 5-2 loss in Calgary on Monday and on Wednesday it was announced that he will be out week-to-week. Marchenko had 14 points (6 goals, 8 assists) in 14 games. 

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