Before this season, Dan Ellis was a 27-year-old goalie with one career start in the NHL, with the Dallas Stars ... in February 2004. To put this in the proper perspective, Luc Robitaille scored the first goal against him and Cristobal Huet saw time on the other side of the ice for the Los Angeles Kings. He had seen more time with the Idaho Steelheads than he had in the League, yet he was promoted to Chris Mason's understudy after Nashville traded Tomas Vokoun to Florida.What's happened since is one of the best stories in the Western Conference this season: The unheralded journeyman posting better numbers than the anointed starter, and helping the underestimated Predators contend for a playoff spot. The skinny:
Dan Ellis 31 GP, 24 GS, 17-6-2, 2.39 GAA .918 SV%
Chris Mason 45 GP, 43 GS, 17-19-6, 2.91 GAA, .899 SV%
How do you not root for a guy who says things like this, to Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal:
"Seems like my entire career has been late. Playing college hockey, then four years in the minors, taking a long road, but the road finally got there. I guess that's all that matters. You learn along the way some things you wish you didn't have to learn, but valuable things to your character."Dirk Hoag of The Forechecker believes Ellis is playing for his next contract in another city, with Pekka Rinne playing well in the AHL. But before going UFA this summer, Ellis has a chance to be a starting goalie in the Stanley Cup Playoffs should the Predators make the cut. If he falters, there's Mason, and vice versa. Ask the Carolina Hurricanes what it means to have two capable goalies in the postseason.
By the way: Good to see that for a career journeyman, Ellis has all the quirks of an NHL veteran goalie:
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