St. Louis Blues Goalie Situation Still Unclear

It’s been said before, but I’ll say it again. If you have two goalies that split starts as often as Brian Elliott and Jake Allen, you suffer in crunch time.

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What is crunch time in the NHL? Well, that would be the NHL playoffs, which the St. Louis Blues have crashed out of the 1st round for the last 3 seasons. There are many reasons why the Blues are perpetual failures in the playoffs, but one of them certainly has to be the goalie competition.

Apr 24, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues goalie Jake Allen (34) in the game against the Minnesota Wild during the first period of game five of the first round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scottrade Center. The Minnesota Wild defeat the St. Louis Blues 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Ken Hitchcock told the St. Louis Post Dispatch last week, “We’re starting clean and fresh. We’ve got two good goalies. If someone goes out and grabs it, we’re going to give him the job. We’re going to give him that responsibility. If both guys play equal, we’re back down the same path.”

It really isn’t fair to call it a “competition” in the first place. Ken Hitchcock seems to split goalie starts like he’s setting a fantasy lineup and not a lineup to challenge for the real, physical, tangible Stanley Cup. Jake Allen received the nod in the playoffs, but the decision wasn’t made until the playoffs began. Sure, Brian Elliott spent much of the end of the season as the clear no. 2 for Hitch, but it may not have been the right decision for 2015 as Allen struggled against the Minnesota Wild in last season’s lone playoff series. The 30-year-old made 45 starts, won 26 games, and had a SV% of .917.

Sep 29, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; St. Louis Blues goalie Brian Elliott (1) makes a save on a shot by Dallas Stars left wing Patrick Sharp (10) during the third period at the American Airlines Center. The Blues defeat the Stars 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

His counterpart, Jake Allen, is just 25-years-old and the heir apparent to the St. Louis Blues goalkeeping duties for the future. In just his 2nd NHL season, Allen started 32 games (13 fewer than Elliott for the math wizards out there), and won 22 games, with a SV% of .913.

To put this in perspective let’s look at the 2014-2015 season statistics for a true no. 1 goalie, Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings. Quick is 29-years-old (quite young in goalie-years), started in 71 games, notched 36 wins, and had a SV% of .918. The Kings didn’t quite have the year they were expecting, but Quick will be a top goalie on the west coast for years to come. Their goalie situation is completely under control.

Perhaps its the lack of playoff success for the St. Louis Blues that keeps them from sticking with a goalie for the long haul, but now is the time to figure it out.

Allen has hit the injury bug this preseason with back spasms, and this could lead the way for Elliott to get the bulk of the early starts this season. Personally, Allen is the goalie of the future for the Blues. He is also a tremendous goalie with huge upside. Elliott is a fantastic backup, with starting abilities. Hitchcock needs to set the tone early in the season that Allen is the no. 1 choice goalie. Elliott can either accept this role, or ask to be moved.

Either way, Hitch has a lot to figure out early on in the 2015-2016 season if the Blues are to snap their losing streak in the playoffs. The hard work begins next week as they lay the foundation for playoff success in 2016.

Next: St. Louis Blues Can't Simulate Regular Season

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