The St. Louis Blues have officially activated Jake Allen off of the injured reserve after the netminder suffered a lower-body injury back in early January. Brian Elliott has played in every game since Allen was injured, playing some of the best hockey of his career. Now that Allen is back, how will the Blues use Allen and Elliott?
Elliott has been outstanding in goal and that’s an understatement. He has been arguably the best goalie in the NHL over the past month and a half and his stats prove it. He has made the most of his opportunity in goal and few people have missed Allen outside of the need for depth behind Elliott.
Here’s what the Blues should do:
– Recognize Elliott’s accomplishment and realize he’s currently the undisputed starter.
– Give Allen some starts to ease him back into the action, realizing he’s the backup.
– With four back-to-backs remaining on the schedule, give Elliott the rest he needs.
– Evaluate how things are at the end of the year.
The Blues currently have a problem which would make most teams envious, but they have to handle things carefully. Remember when the team bailed on Elliott in favor of Allen prior to the playoffs and how well that played out? They need to bring Allen back into the mix without ruining the amazing thing they have going in Elliott.
In my opinion, barring some sort of injury or major collapse, Elliott is the starting goalie for the playoffs. Allen has played extremely well this season, but Elliott has exuded a confidence and poise that Allen hasn’t had even during his best stretches. That calmness and poise (along with other intangibles and buzzwords) are critical in the playoffs. At some point the Blues need to give Elliott the chance and opportunity he has earned.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens. Knowing Ken Hitchcock and the Blues, the decision on what to do with Allen and Elliott should be polarizing.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
