The Blues officially named Carter Hutton the starter for the team’s game on Thursday against the Minnesota Wild. There was some indication that Jake Allen might claim the start, but after Hutton posted a masterful shutout against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, the decision was made to reward Hutton with another start.
Allen was asked about that decision by STLToday.com and his answers reveal what he has been going through during some tough times.
“Thought I was playing, been working hard all week, since the situation happened when they told me I wasn’t going to travel with the team. It’s been tough for me, but I’ve felt that I’ve bounced back really good from it and I’ve practiced well. I’ve been mentally strong as possible and I felt I was ready to go. But ‘Hutts’ played great last night and the team played well in front of him. So hopefully we’ll get a win tomorrow.”
Allen sounds pretty confident that he’s ready to go and give it another shot, but that same confidence isn’t shared by Blues fans. It has been tough to watch Allen struggle so badly, but at the same time it has been equally difficult to watch him go through games where his overall demeanor and attitude look a bit lacking. Visibly, Allen has looked barely bothered by what’s transpiring around his goal and that’s a huge problem. Different goaltenders handle things in different ways, but has looked so uninterested that it’s difficult to accept his statements at face value.
Allen deserves chances to get things back on track, but at some point the Blues have to recognize who will give them the best opportunity for two points.
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