The St. Louis Post-Dispatch laments goaltender Jaroslav Halak's absence due to injury in the St. Louis Blues' playoff series with the San Jose Sharks. Halak didn't even dress for Game 4 in San Jose and was wearing a walking boot on his left leg.
That's why Brian Elliott's time is now. He was inserted in Game 2 after Halak's injury and stopped all 17 shots he faced. Of the four goals Elliott has given up in the postseason, three have come with less than five minutes left in games. The Blues had both Game 3 and Game 4 well in hand before the flurry of goals were scored.
Anomalies aside, Elliott has essentially let in one shot at a critical time in the game. If he can continue bringing his "A" game, the Blues will be just fine.
The only roadblock in the way also exists in California. A possible second-round opponent are the Los Angeles Kings. The last time the Kings and Blues met, dueling goaltenders kept both teams out of the net for 65 minutes. L.A. won only after a shootout March 22.
Elliott's lack of playoff experience is about to be tested. Teams will get progressively better as the playoffs progress. Fatigue will be a factor, which is why it is vitally important to put teams away in as few games as possible. St. Louis can clinch the quarterfinal series in five games with another win.
The key to keeping Elliott in the game is to rely on the incredible shot blocking of the other five guys on the ice. In head coach Ken Hitchcock's camp, goaltending is a team effort. St. Louis gave up only 155 goals all season. The main reason was that teams only got off 2,190 shots. Both marks were tops in the NHL's regular season.
The playoffs are not the time to reinvent the wheel. Elliott simply has to do what coaches try to teach every player. It's just another game, yet every game is Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Elliott simply has to stay focused every playoff game.
The defense needs to step up and protect their netminder the rest of the way. Halak's injury was an accident with his own teammate, but the five skaters need to keep up the defensive intensity no matter what the scoreboard says. Throughout this season, Elliott has fed off the energy surrounding him and vice versa. Hopefully that translates to playoff success.
Having two great goaltenders is fantastic for a team with talent. Having Elliott backing up Halak is like having a top-notch insurance policy. Both men are there in a pinch but you may not need them all of the time. Now it's time to cash in the insurance policy.
William Browning was born in St. Louis and has been a lifelong Blues fan.
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