Blues must find a happy balance in net -- and soon -- to reach full potential
ST. LOUIS -- How the Blues handle a delicate balancing act at goaltender could go a long way in determining their fate for the remainder of the regular season and into the playoffs.
Three straight losses by Nashville have opened the door for St. Louis to make a final run at the Central Division lead with 19 games to play. Finding consistency in net on a nightly basis may be the biggest challenge for Ken Hitchcock, the only coach among the top 13 teams in the NHL standings to not start the same goalie in at least 35 games.
A major part of that, of course, can be attributed to Brian Elliott's knee injury and speaks to the Blues' resiliency during their 14 games without him. But it's also an indicator of St. Louis' unique approach to the position, one that seems to be most effective when the top two goaltenders are working in tandem.
Sunday's game showed hints of the season's first real signs of discord, when Elliott came in for the third period and allowed one goal on six shots in just over six minutes of play. Elliott showed some frustration when he got pulled, knocking away his coach's outstretched hand before storming off to the locker room.
"That was me," Hitchcock told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Jeremy Rutherford after the game. "He was mad he was coming out. I just told him to relax."
Jake Allen also expressed some discontent at having to return after giving up four goals in two periods, and he didn't look mentally prepared for a shootout in which Vancouver scored on all three of its shots to win 6-5. Those hurt feelings will most likely be forgotten by Thursday's game at Philadelphia, but it's worth keeping an eye on going forward.
Statistics, experience and just about everything else show why Elliott maintains the primary role, and his 20-9-2 record with a .921 save percentage is quite respectable. But both he and Allen faltered when given the chance to increase their workload, leaving Hitchcock understandably hesitant to work out his rotation more than a week in advance.
Allen's opportunity arrived much earlier than expected thanks to Elliott's injury, and it's neither surprising nor terribly disappointing the 24-year-old wasn't quite ready. Ideally, he'll benefit in the long run from a nightmarish December during which he went 3-3-1 in eight starts with a 3.68 GAA and .874 save percentage.
Perhaps the more concerning development came in January, when Elliott gave more fuel to critics who say he's not ready to handle the rigors of a true No. 1 goaltender in the NHL. An incredibly hot start upon his return from injury earned him the chance to play almost every game, but it didn't take long for those great numbers to drop dramatically.
After three wins with a combined four goals allowed, Elliott started a fourth straight game for the first time all season Jan. 10. Awful defense left him in all sorts of trouble, and he went to the bench down 3-0 less than 13 minutes into a home game against Carolina.
More troubles followed a late All-Star selection, with nearly all of them coming at Scottrade Center. Elliott won for the seventh time in his last eight road starts Saturday at Edmonton, but a miserable .839 save percentage led to three losses in his last three home games.
That can't happen for a goaltender hoping to start every night, particularly considering some of Allen's top performances. He's matched Elliott's three shutouts and started 2015 with a .950 save percentage to go along with six wins in six starts, though the first five came against teams with losing records.
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Despite wins over Nashville and Anaheim early in the season, tougher competition led to Allen's recent downfall. He made some bad mistakes while giving up nine goals to Montreal and Vancouver, stopping barely 80 percent of shots on goal.
The inconsistency of the two goaltenders leaves Hitchcock with a much bigger dilemma than the one he faced in November, when Elliott and Allen were both among the league leaders in goals-against average and save percentage. Whereas before he could hardly make a wrong decision, now neither goalie can be counted on to put St. Louis in good position to win.
Barring disaster, Elliott will be the top choice most nights for the Blues in the playoffs, so it would be in their best interest to get him in peak form again. That probably means keeping Allen in the mix, especially since St. Louis plays on back-to-back nights three more times before the season ends.
It's hard enough to keep one goaltender focused and happy for 82 games. For Hitchcock and his staff to get the best results, they must be able to take good care of two.
You can follow Luke Thompson on Twitter at @FS_LukeT or email him at lukegthompson87@gmail.com.
