SUNRISE, Fla. — Dan Ellis has not logged a single minute in the NHL all season. And he might now be the key to the Florida Panthers’ postseason hopes.
The Panthers will be without goaltenders Roberto Luongo and Al Montoya for at least one game and possibly longer after both got hurt against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night, setting off a chain-reaction of unplanned and downright bizarre events in the Florida dressing room.
So Wednesday, practice was delayed a few minutes so new goalies could get there. Ellis was called up from San Antonio of the AHL, and Sam Brittain was summoned from the team’s ECHL affiliate in Cincinnati — making him the third player to go from that level right to the NHL, according to STATS.
Ellis will start Thursday night against the Dallas Stars, with Florida going into that game two points behind the Boston Bruins in the race for the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
The next game will have some bizarre elements as well. Ellis started his career in Dallas, wound up playing with four other franchises, re-signed with the Stars and then got traded to Florida on March 5, 2014 — meaning Thursday’s game against his old club will come on the one-year anniversary of that move.
Ellis hasn’t seen any time with the Panthers this year. His last two outings last season were disasters, when he allowed a combined 11 goals on 70 shots.
“Dan Ellis is an NHL goalie,” Panthers coach Gerard Gallant said. “We know that. Things didn’t go great for him a couple years ago, but hey, he’s an NHL goalie. He’s played a lot of games in the league and he’s won games. We’re confident in Dan. He’s a good guy, a good person and he gives us a chance to win.”
For his part, Ellis knows why he’s in Florida.
“It’s not so much you’re looking to regain a job,” Ellis said. “You’re just looking to help. … Someone goes down, you want to fill in and give the team a chance to win.”
Gallant said the indication on Luongo’s injury is that it’s not as serious as the team originally feared. The Panthers could also get defenseman Willie Mitchell back from about a month-long injury stint on Thursday, which would figure to help whomever is in the Florida net.
Thumbnail photo via Robert Mayer/USA TODAY Sports Images
