Funny how things work out. As the playoffs approached, St. Louis Blues coach Ken Hitchcock was undecided and noncommittal about which of his goaltenders would get the starting call. The pair – Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott – combined for 15 shutouts during the season, splitting duties almost down the middle.
As it turned out, fate made Hitchcock’s decision easy. With Elliott nursing a minor injury, Halak was the no-brainer pick to start the series against the San Jose Sharks. When the Blues lost the opening game 3-2 in double-overtime, some might have been wondering whether Elliott might get his chance.
Fate took care of that as well.
Slightly more than a minute into the second period on Saturday, with the Blues leading 1-0 in a game they eventually won 3-0, the Sharks rushed dangerously into the Blues’ end. Halak came out to cut off Martin Havlat. But trailing Havlat, Blues defenseman Barret Jackman couldn’t avoid slamming into his own netminder.
Knocked flying, Halak laid on the ice for several moments before getting to his feet and leaving the ice. He did not return – to the ice or the bench. Afterward, Hitchcock said Halak has “a lower body injury We’ll evaluate him (Sunday), take him on the trip and see how it goes.”
With Halak unable to continue, Hitchcock again had no options. Elliott came into the game and, as he has been all season, he was the perfect compliment.
“He did a great job,” Hitchcock said. “He came in like a good relief pitcher, tossed a shutout.”
Halak stopped all 12 San Jose shots he faced before sustaining his injury. Without a warm-up, Elliott stopped eight more shots in the second period. Meanwhile, the Blues increased their lead to 2-0 on a spectacular setup by T.J. Oshie and resulting goal from David Backes.
Elliott was at his best late in the second, protecting the lead. He made a slick glove save on Joe Thornton in close and an instant later, stretched across with a pad just in time to deny Logan Couture’s wraparound. Coming in cold, Elliott didn’t need long to heat up.
“You try to just get right in there,” Elliott said. “It’s part of the job. None of the job is easy, so you just have to be prepared. It’s not something that happens a lot, but when it does, you have to be ready. The guys kind of limited the shots initially for me and kind of let me slide into the game.”
Things got more demanding for Elliott in the third period. The Blues’ Scott Nichol was whistled for a delay of game penalty one minute into the frame. Shorthanded, Elliott was severely tested by a point-blank slapper from the bullet-blasting Brent Burns.
Moments after the penalty expired, Thornton camped behind the Blues goal and found Joe Pavelski in front. Again, Elliott made a dazzling save, snaring Pavelski’s shot with his glove. Midway through the third, Game 1 hero Havlat danced through the defense and moved in alone. Elliott stayed with Havlat’s move and stopped his backhand attempt.
“That’s got to be tough for a goalie, not expecting to play,” Blues forward David Perron said. “But that just shows how prepared he is. As a backup goalie, you’ve done it before but that has to be different in a playoff situation like that.”
It has been a magical season for Elliott.
Signed as a free agent in July, he barely edged Ben Bishop for a spot on the parent roster. To say he made the most of the opportunity is to say the crowd of 19,500 at Scottrade Center was lively Saturday.
When Halak struggled to a 1-6 start, Elliott ascended to equal partner. He played so well he was named the Blues’ representative for the All-Star Game. He then signed a contract extension, ensuring he had a new home. By season’s end, Elliott was 23-10-4 with a franchise record nine shutouts. He led the NHL with a .940 save percentage and a post-expansion NHL record 1.56 goals-against average.
Elliott’s previous playoff record was less than impressive. He had a 1-2 record with .853 save percentage and 4.14 GAA in four postseason games with Ottawa. Stands to reason Elliott would sparkle in his playoff debut for the Blues.
“It shows the depth we have in net,” Oshie said. “Both of those guys are our hardest workers and it’s been consistently like that since training camp, all the way to tonight. And it’s going to be like that the rest of the playoffs. We have a sense of pride playing in front of them.”
Andy McDonald added a goal in the waning seconds and Elliott turned aside nine San Jose shots in the third to complete the shutout. Fittingly, both goalies had a part in the Blues’ first playoff win since 2004.
“You never want to see (an injury) situation like that, but the guys in front of us played a heck of a game,” Elliott said. “Both of us had an opportunity to play in it. Hopefully, we can take this and just move on from here.”
