Farmer's Almanac: Elliott Leads Sens to Two Weekend Victories

Hello Internet

Thanks for popping by to visit. It's cold outside; I hope you brought a sweater.

Binghamton Senators Goaltender Brian Elliott is the focus of these weeks edition of the Farmer's Almanac. He earned the honour (a term I use loosely) by stopping 74 of the 75 shots he faced in victories over the Portland Pirates and Albany River Rats.



Fri Dec 12th 2008- Binghamton 2, Portland 1
Elliott was the unequivocal star of this contest. The B-Sens were outshot 42-28, but Elliott kept them in the game with some brilliant play, highlighted by 17 third period saves to preserve the victory. Binghamton coach Cory Clouston was critical of his team's effort, saying he felt his squad was out of sorts, and succumbed to effective neutral zone play by Portland. Clouston singled out Elliott as a bright spot, letting the media know the former Wisconsin Badger was his team's best player that night. The offense came from the club's top line of Peter Regin (2A) Greg Mauldin (1G, 1A) and Lachute, QC native Denis Hamel (GWG, 1A.)

Sat. Dec 13th 2008 - Binghamton 3, Albany 0
Elliott picked up where he left off against the struggling River Rats, posting a 33 save shutout in the victory. What made the shutout effort all the more striking was Eliott’s role in killing off nine Albany power plays - including five consecutive third period penalties - behind the AHL’s worst penalty kill. Mauldin and Hamel had goals for the Senators, while former Anaheim Duck Ryan Shannon added an empty netter.

SUPER IMORTANT UPDATE JUST IN OH MY F***ING GOD!
Wed. Dec 17th 2008 – Philadelphia 3, Binghamton 2 OT
Just moments ago the B-Sens fell to the Phantoms for the second time in as many weeks, picking up a single point in a 3-2 overtime loss. Give the Senators credit though, as they overcame the 2-0 deficit staring them in the face as they walked down the tunnel during at the first intermission. Cory Clouston must have given a rousing speech in the dressing room, as Binghamton peppered Phantoms goaltender Michael Teslak with 18 second period shots en route to tying the game. Brian Elliott surrendered the OT winner 1:28 into the extra frame, giving him 21 saves on 24 shots. While that stat line isn’t particularly noteworthy, Elliott was again the club’s best penalty killer, helping them snuff out four consecutive third period penalties, including a 30 second 5-on-3 opportunity. Danny Bois and Josh Hennessey scored for Binghamton.



Spotlight- Brian Elliott

Position: G
Catches: Left
Height: 6-2
Weight: 202 lbs
Birthdate: 1985-04-09
Hometown: Newmarket, Ontario
Drafted: 9th round, 291st overall Ottawa 2003



Many Sens fans have high hopes for this Newmarket native given the lofty numbers he put up with the Wisconsin Badgers of the NCAA. Elliott had the starter’s job his last two years in Madison and had quite the respectable stat line during that time. Many projected big things for Elliott after a banner 2005-06 wherein he had 27-5-3 record to go with 8 shutouts, a 1.55 GAA and a .938 sv%. Elliott demonstrated champion pedigree, playing a key role on a team that won the NCAA Division I National Championship. He significantly raised his game during the playoff portion of the season, recording 4 shutouts late in the season.

One potential red flag is that Elliott’s 2006-07 season, while still impressive, was a statistical step back from his previous campaign. Elliott went 15-17-2 while capturing another 5 shutouts and posting a 2.10 GAA and a .923 sv%. Criticisms of Elliott’s performance in 06-07 can be tempered by the fact he backstopped a significantly weaker Badgers team than the one that won the Frozen Four. Elliott was frequently praised for his consistency and rebound control during his time at Wisconsin.

Elliott’s pro career got off to a rocky start. He played 8 games with the Baby Sens following his Senior year at Wisconsin, posting a 3-4-0 record, a 4.24 GAA and an .886 sv%. However, Elliott improved significantly upon those numbers in 07-08 while playing on a bad B-Sens team. He posted a 2.81 GAA and .915 sv % in 44 appearances with Binghamton last season. Elliott drew positive reviews in The Hockey News’ Future Watch 2008, wherein he was named as a potential starter who needed a little work on his positioning and angles.

Elliott is off to a good start this year. Entering tonight’s contest, he sported a 2.58 GAA and 919 sv%. It’s nice to see that Elliott is capable of stealing games at the AHL level, a skill that the NHL Senators have desperately needed throughout their history. I’m not sure what to make of Elliott. His numbers are such that he could either be a strong NHL talent, or a journeyman 1A goalie. I wouldn’t expect the overall quality of his play to be much higher than Patrick Lalime was able to offer. This is one instance where I hope my analysis is wrong. Considering Elliott was drafted in a round of the NHL Entry Draft that no longer exists, he is already a success story for the Senators' development system.

Elliott will likely be with the Senators full time within the next two years. Martin Gerber’s contract is up this July, and Auld’s expires in 2010. The Senators have never been big players in the free agent market, and have traditionally failed to fill their goaltending need, but this year’s free agent class is strong. The likes of Niklas Backstom (Minnesota,) Nikolai Khabibulin (Chicago,) Martin Biron (Philadelphia,) Dany Sabourin (Pittsburgh,) and Tim Thomas (Boston) are available among others. Where Elliott plays next season will likely hinge on whether Bryan Murray acquires a proven puck stopper this July. When he does make the team, Elliott will likely be brought along as a backup, playing a 25-game rookie season before being given a chance to start.

Elliott allowed one goal on 29 shots in his one NHL appearance against the Atlanta Thrashers October 9th 2007. Here are a few snippets of his work from that night.