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The Carolina Hurricanes put an end to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ four-game winning streak on Thursday, behind another great effort from backup netminder Dan Ellis. With starter Cam Ward getting the rare night off, Ellis came up big for the Hurricanes, stopping 22 of 23 shots and earning his fourth win of the season.
Heading into the lockout, Ellis was a free agent without much interest from NHL teams, and he chose to sign with Carolina’s AHL affiliate to stay in game shape in hopes of landing a deal when the work stoppage was over. He went 8-7-2 for the Charlotte Checkers with a 2.47 goals against average and was offered a contract in Carolina when the lockout ended. He continues to be one of the best pick-ups in the league this season and has proven that he is still more than capable of being a reliable backup option at the NHL level. Ward doesn’t get many nights off, but it’s very helpful for the team to still have a chance to win when he does.
Ellis is now 3-1 on the season with a ridiculous 1.00 GAA. With the exception of one rough outing against the Philadelphia Flyers, he has been lights out for Carolina in his other three appearances. He had a 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres and shut out the Ottawa Senators last month. It’s never easy for a goaltender to come in after 12 days off, but Ellis looked sharp against the Maple Leafs. The Hurricanes are now on a three-game win streak of their own and with an 8-4-1 record are looking like one of the teams to beat in the Eastern Conference.
Jonathan Katje is an NHL blogger for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @JKatje or add him to your network on Google.
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