St. Louis Blues goalie Jaroslav Halak was fifth in the NHL with a 1.97 GAA this season, and also posted six shutouts.
DAN RIEDLHUBER/REUTERSR.B. Fallstrom Associated Press
ST. LOUISâ"Ken Hitchcockâs big decision decided itself.
It was no surprise when the St. Louis Blues coach announced Jaroslav Halak would start in goal in the playoff opener against the San Jose Sharks. After all, his other option, Brian Elliott, didnât practise because of an unspecified upper-body injury sustained about a week ago.
âOh yeah, itâs a big decision before Elliott got hurt,â Hitchcock said. âWeâre pretty hopeful heâs going to be able to back up tomorrow and get himself ready but weâre not 100 per cent, so we made the decision really yesterday.â
Elliott led the NHL with a 1.56 goals-against average, nine shutouts and a .940 save percentage, and was the Bluesâ lone all-star. Halak was fifth with a 1.97 GAA and six shutouts and is playoff-tested, winning a pair of Game 7s to lift the eighth-seeded Canadiens in 2009-10.
Their combined 15 shutouts tied the modern NHL record set by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1969-70, and theyâre the first tandem in NHL history with at least six shutouts apiece.
Even though Elliottâs locker stall was empty, Halak was taking nothing for granted and acted as if he didnât know he would start. He didnât make much of his previous success, either.
âThat happened two years ago almost,â Halak said. âWe are here right now and itâs a different team, different playoffs. Itâs a new season for everybody. You start from scratch.â
Expectations are high for a franchise that took flight after the Hitchcock hire in early November, going 43-15-11 after a so-so 6-7 start. Theyâre the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference after a 109-point total that tied for second overall in the NHL.
And, though theyâre in the playoffs for just the second time in seven seasons and havenât won a series in a decade, they swept the four-game season series against the No. 7 Sharks while outscoring them 11-3. Halak and Elliott each shut out San Jose at home.
âIt doesnât matter which goalie you play against, which system you play against,â the Sharksâ Dan Boyle said. âYou want to get shots, traffic, screen the goalie, get some ugly rebound goals. Thatâs usually the key to success.â
Most of the season the Blues have been a defence-oriented outfit, setting an NHL record with just 155 goals allowed. Hitchcock is hopeful the Blues can step it up on offence, too, with difference-makers David Perron, Andy McDonald and Alex Steen healthy after missing huge chunks of the season with concussions and ready to complement a relentless north-south attack designed to grind down opponents.
The shifty Perron was second on the team with 21 goals and totalled 42 points in 57 games. The speedy McDonald had 22 points in 25 games, and Steen, perhaps the teamâs best two-way player, had 28 points in 43 games.
âIâm excited to see how we look offensively because I believe we can match against anybody,â Hitchcock said. âAnd I think weâre going to prove it.â
Perron was sidelined more than a year by a mid-ice blow to the head delivered by the Sharksâ Joe Thornton, who emerged from the penalty box and caught the Blues player by surprise. Thornton texted an apology before Perronâs first game back, the two have spoken, and Perron said itâs a non-factor.
âIt was really dirty to me because he was coming out of the box, and how can you know someoneâs coming out of the penalty box?â Perron said. âHeâs moved on, Iâve moved on, and the biggest thing for us is to beat the Sharks, not to beat Joe Thornton.â
Thornton, the Sharksâ captain, anticipates heâll be the prime target for heckling.
âWeâre not going to get a warm reception there, I hope,â Thornton said. âTheyâre not going to get a warm reception here in San Jose, I can tell you that much.â
The Blues were the first team to clinch a playoff spot, the Sharks among the last. That was most unusual for a franchise thatâs made it to the Western Conference finals the last two seasons.
The Sharks were shut out in both trips to St. Louis, once each by Elliott and Halak, and led in only one of the last three meetings.
âObviously, they had our number a little bit,â Sharks forward Ryane Clowe said. âWe didnât go over those past games as much moving forward. Weâll have to work to get our chances.â
Both coaches realize itâs a different game now. Nobodyâs playing on back-to-back nights, nobodyâs worn out from the road, and thereâs been plenty of time to concentrate on the strengths and weaknesses of a single opponent.
âThe adjustments that happen from game to game are a little more defined when you play in a series,â McLellan said. âThere are momentum swings. Thatâs why playoffs exist, thatâs why seven-game series are always exciting, regardless of what sport it is.â
Hitchcock noted that the Boston Bruins lost their first two games of the playoffs at home last spring, and still won the Stanley Cup.
âItâs four games youâve got to win, not one. Anybody knows losing two games in a row isnât a big deal, losing at home isnât a big deal,â Hitchcock said. âItâs a long grind, and you get a chance at redemption right away.â
The Sharks will do their best to capitalize on a decided advantage in the post-season.
âWe have some experience. We donât have enough of it,â McLellan said. âIf we would have had enough of it we would have had more success the past two years.
âBut we do have some we can draw on, and I believe that weâll need that at some point.â
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