Buffalo Sabres goaltender Colten Ellis delivered a 37-save shutout against the Columbus Blue Jackets at KeyBank Center on April 10, helping the team secure a 5-0 victory and move closer to an Atlantic Division title.
The result is significant for Buffalo, as it puts them in control of their playoff positioning with two regular season games remaining. The Sabres’ depth was on display, with Ellis stepping up after spending much of the season backing up Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon.
“It was awesome, start to finish,” Ellis said. Teammate Josh Doan added, “It just shows how deep of a team we are. We’ve got goalies that you haven’t seen in a while putting up shutouts on 37 saves. … It’s a little bit of a secret how good he can be, and I think tonight, the world got to see what Colten Ellis can do.”
Ellis has earned praise from his teammates for his work ethic and dedication during practices and off-ice sessions. “Playing in the NHL, I’m super happy to be in this situation, and I don’t take it for granted one day,” said Ellis. Peyton Krebs highlighted his competitiveness: “He’s a worker, he’s battling for pucks and he wants to win, and that shows out there.”
Coach Lindy Ruff acknowledged both Ellis’s performance and the team’s defensive effort late in the game: “Part of the culture. The players understood how well this kid played [behind] them, they wanted to repay that with making sure pucks weren’t going to get to the net,” Ruff said. “He still had to make one unbelievable backside save.” According to Natural Stat Trick data referenced by Ruff during postgame comments, Ellis finished with ten high-danger saves and saved more than three goals above expected.
Josh Doan reached his personal goal milestone with two goals on Thursday night—bringing him up to 25 goals this season—and signed a seven-year contract extension earlier this year valued at $6.95 million annually. Ruff said about Doan: “… I think he’s following in his dad’s footsteps when it comes to the way he competes and how hard he works in games.”
Other notable performances included Jack Quinn scoring his twentieth goal of the year while Logan Stanley contributed two assists.
Looking ahead, Buffalo will have three days before facing Chicago as they aim for first place heading into postseason play.
