SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Colten Ellis made 23 saves in his first appearance in more than two weeks to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 2-0 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night.
Olen Zellweger scored in the second period and Ellis did the rest to earn his second career shutout, robbing Kiefer Sherwood from point-blank range with 4:01 left in the game. Ellis had gotten pulled in the second period of his last start for Buffalo on Oct. 12 against
Florida.
Zach Benson added an empty-net goal for the Sabres.
The Sabres beat the Sharks for the eighth time in the last nine meetings between the teams, including a shutout win last March in San Jose.
Yaroslav Askarov made 38 saves for San Jose in the first game back from a six-game road trip. The Sharks have only one regulation win in 13 games this season.
The Sharks juggled their lines for this game with forwards Alexander Wennberg and Igor Chernyshov sidelined with upper-body injuries that are considered week to week. Rookie Ivar Stenberg began the game on the top line with Macklin Celebrini and Collin Graf but the moves didn't provide much of a spark.
Askarov made 16 saves in a wide-open first period but couldn't stop the first shot he faced in the second. In the opening minute of the period, Konsta Helenius set up Zellweger on a rush at the top of the circle. Zellweger then beat Askarov for his third goal to make it 1-0.
The game stayed there the rest of the period thanks in part to Ellis robbing Graf after he was set up in front by Celebrini to preserve the lead.
Sabres: Visit Anaheim on Thursday night.
Sharks: Host Vancouver on Thursday night.
___
See AP’s full NHL coverage here
