Dan Ellis

Right after last season wrapped, each netminder received an in-depth data package outlining shot origins, high danger tendencies, and exactly where they were getting beat.

Jimmy Waite and goal-- and goalie scout Dan Ellis cross-referenced the raw numbers against game video to verify context before passing the customized plans along.

The big takea- takeaway across the board: lateral recovery and tracking east-west passes.

If you follow hockey metrics, you know Steve Valiquette, uh, coined this concept years ago as the royal road.

The responses from the crease have been fantastic to hear.

Söderblom spent his summer in Sweden training to stay springy and light on his edges like a boxer or a soccer keeper, so he can explode across the paint without getting stuck deep in his stance.

Out in Massachusetts, Comesso was sending training clips directly back to Dan Ellis, working tirelessly on sharper edge stops and rapid direction changes.

And meanwhile, Knight used the metrics to fine-tune an already stellar foundation heading into his starting role.

Right.

And Dan Ellis was kind of the last guy, um, but he could play the puck exceptionally well.

And obviously, that was at a time where, you know, forwards were still trying to put you in the 15th row of the building.

[laughs]

Remember, this is the guy that coached Chad Pennington.

On the other side, Dan Ellis, too, missed a number of games because of a hamstring injury.

He is back today hoping that he can play well enough to have his head coach go out a winner.

Well, that takes care of the offensive leaders for the respective teams.

You see the argument there.

A bit of an argument anyway.

Dan Ellis is back to being the starting quarterback for Virginia.

He joins Mike Groh and Sean Moore, the only Virginia quarterbacks to ever start two