SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Brian Elliott of the Binghamton Senators has been named the Reebok X-Pulse/AHL Goaltender of the Month for December. Elliott was 7-2-0 in 11 appearances for the Senators last month, with a 1.79 goals-against average, a .943 save percentage and one shutout.
Elliott allowed two goals or fewer in nine of his 11 appearances, and faced at least 32 shots in six of his nine complete games. He began the month with two no-decisions before making 41 saves in a 2-1 victory over Portland on Dec. 12. He followed that up a night later with a 33-save shutout as Binghamton blanked Albany, 3-0. Elliott made 32 stops in a 3-2 overtime win over the Crunch on Dec. 26, and came back the next night to turn aside 43 of 44 shots as Binghamton earned its first win in 17 visits to Hershey.
In recognition of his achievement, Elliott will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Senators home game.
Elliott (17-8-1) has appeared in 29 of Binghamton’s first 35 games this season and ranks first in the AHL in victories, second in shots faced (860) and saves (795), third in save percentage (.924) and eighth in goals-against average (2.39) for the Senators. The native of Newmarket, Ont., shows a record of 38-31-2 in 81 AHL contests, and he has also appeared in one NHL game, winning his debut with Ottawa on Oct. 10, 2007. The 23-year-old Elliott is in his second professional season after a four-year career at the University of Wisconsin that saw him lead the Badgers to the 2006 NCAA championship.
Other nominees for Reebok X-Pulse/AHL Goaltender of the Month include Bridgeport’s Nathan Lawson, Grand Rapids’ Daniel Larsson, Iowa’s David LeNeveu, Lake Erie’s Tyler Weiman, Lowell’s Jeff Frazee, Manchester’s Jonathan Quick, Milwaukee’s Mark Dekanich, Norfolk’s Mike McKenna, Philadelphia’s Scott Munroe, Providence’s Tuukka Rask, Quad City’s Leland Irving, Rochester’s Mike Brodeur, Syracuse’s Dan LaCosta and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s John Curry.
