|
 The 23-year-old defenseman showed why Tuesday night.
After scoring a goal and assisting on two others, Ellis potted the
game-winner in the fourth round of a shootout as Nashville subdued
the Arizona Coyotes 4-3 at Bridgestone Arena.
On a team with plenty of capable scoring options on the backline,
such as Shea Weber, Roman Josi and Seth Jones, Ellis offers another
player who can jump up in the play and deliver some offense.
"It seemed like every time I had the puck, I either got a favorable
bounce or made something else happen," he said.
Ellis didn't need luck on his side in the shootout. Taking his turn
after center Antoine Vermette kept Arizona (2-2-1) alive by scoring
on what could have been the game's last shot, Ellis carefully skated
in from center ice, stickhandled and beat goalkeeper Devan Dubnyk
with a five-foot wrister off the forehand side.
Ellis didn't study what Dubnyk did on the Predators' first three
attempts in the shootout.
"I have my moves," Ellis said. "I really don't read too much into
what the goalie does."
Goalie Pekka Rinne (4-0-1) stoned right winger Martin Erat from 18
feet away to seal the verdict. Nashville (4-0-2) has picked up
points in its first six games under coach Peter Laviolette.
"What I liked about tonight was even when things weren't going our
way, the guys kept pushing, kept fighting," Laviolette said.
Rinne stood tall in a busy third period, making 16 of his 33 saves,
and turned away Vermette's slapper with two seconds left on an
overtime power play.
"He's a big part of the team," Predators center Mike Ribeiro said.
"He saved what, close to 40 shots. He gave us a chance to win that
game."
Ribeiro was part of that equation as well, bagging his third goal at
12:05 of the first period to finish a 4-on-1, then setting up left
winger James Neal for the equalizer at 8:03 of the third period.
That occurred just 21 seconds after Erat, who played the first 722
games of his NHL career with Nashville, gave the Coyotes a brief
lead with a power-play tally, his second goal.
[to top of second column]
|
Arizona initiated scoring at 3:21 of the first period as left winger
Rob Klinkhammer converted right winger David Moss' pass into his
second goal.
Ellis, who drew the assist on Ribeiro's goal, gave the Predators
their first lead at 5:12 of the second as he ripped a wrister by
Dubnyk three seconds after the first of five unsuccessful Nashville
power plays ended.
However, defenseman Keith Yandle made his 500th NHL game one to
remember, collecting a power-play marker at 8:12 off Vermette's
faceoff win.
"It was a great play by Vermy," Yandle said. "It was a set play and
I just kind of lucked out."
Dubnyk (1-0-1) finished with 23 saves in relief of normal starter
Mike Smith, who's allowed 16 goals in his first three games.
NOTES: One of the referees seemed confused by the Coyotes' change
from Phoenix to Arizona, saying that Phoenix had been called for
minors twice in the second period. The team switched to Arizona
during the offseason. ... Nashville C Mike Fisher (Achilles tendon)
skated in practice Tuesday morning wearing a non-contact jersey.
Fisher, who was injured in the offseason, could be back late in
November, but a December return to action is more realistic. ...
Arizona played its first four games at home, but started a stretch
of seven road games in the next nine with this game.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
