The St. Louis Blues are doing everything they can to get Brian Elliott back on track. Today the club announced they were sending Elliott down to the Peoria Rivermen for the next two games so that he can get some work in after sitting idle for the last few weeks. Elliott will start in net for the Rivermen on Friday against Oklahoma City and on Saturday against Lake Erie before returning to the Blues.
Elliott last appeared in a game for the Blues on March 5th when he came in to relieve Jaroslav Halak in a 6-4 loss to the Los Angeles Kings.
Don't misinterpret this announcement. Elliott is being sent to Peoria for conditioning which is not to be confused with a permanent demotion. The goaltender has practiced but hasn't seen any real action since that disastrous loss to the LA Kings at the beginning of March. His last start between the pipes was on March 3rd against Dallas.
The Blues aren't ready to end their relationship with Elliott, and rightly so. He's been dreadful in 2013, but it'd be foolish to make such a serious decision with such a small sample size (11 appearances, 8 starts).
Consider this an opportunity for Elliott not only to get some needed work, but also as an opportunity for him to prove that he can keep the puck out of the net and that the form he has shown isn't the new normal. He'll be tested playing in consecutive nights against opposition he's unfamiliar with, but it should serve as a chance to prove that there's still hope for the St. Louis netminder.
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