St. Louis Blues: Jim Corsi, The Forgotten Man

The St. Louis Blues are one of those teams without the big name general manager, without the stars that get pushed by national media and without a market favored by the league. The Blues have to rely on each cog in the wheel, even some of the more unknown ones, like goaltending coach Jim Corsi.

We’ve spent time discussing the benefits of bringing back current head coach Ken Hitchcock. There are still question marks as to who will return with Hitchcock, but the one likely overlooked by many is Jim Corsi.

Corsi was the longtime goaltending coach for the Buffalo Sabres. He had a part to play in making Ryan Miller one of the elite goaltenders of the day. Under Corsi’s tutelage, Miller set career records for wins and became the man the Sabres leaned on as well as the man Team USA relied on.

Under Corsi, Martin Biron also put up career numbers. He went from a career backup to a starter with Corsi as his coach and he improved his numbers across the board. He also improved his goals saved against league average.

2014 saw the St. Louis Blues bring in Corsi to groom their up and coming goaltender, Jake Allen, and also touch up Brian Elliott‘s form. He has clearly done both to top notch affect.

Now goaltending coaches are similar to swing coaches in golf. You’re not always going to see the improvements with stats. You can see the improvements in consistency and form though. You can tell the improvements in calmness and in the way they can impact the game.

That’s exactly what has happened to Allen and Elliott under Corsi. They have evolved into cool customers who rely as much or more on positioning and fundamentals as they do athleticism.

Elliott has really benefited from Corsi being on staff. People have long whined and complained about whether Elliott has been given an opportunity as a starter with the Blues. The bottom line is he has been a career backup, thrust into the occasional starting role.

In 2015-16, Elliott raised his game to a different level. Elliott put up better numbers in 2011-12, when he was sharing the spotlight with Jaroslav Halak and the duo won the Jennings Trophy. However, 2015-16 was the first time since Elliott was in Ottawa that he was the true starter.

It may have been handed to him by Allen’s injury, but Elliott knew there was no help coming and still put up near career numbers. He was being depended on to perform for the team to win as well. Corsi was able to help in terms of keeping focus, keeping fit and keeping up good form.

The same can be said of Allen. With Corsi as his coach, Allen has improved his number of quality starts each season. He’s improved his goals saved against league average, number of shutouts and save percentage on the penalty kill as well.

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Now, the naysayers will say Allen’s numbers changed because he was playing in more games. They’ll say Elliott’s numbers haven’t changed that much and his best goals against averages have been before Corsi got there.

That’s when it comes down to the eye test. While not every eye sees things the same way, it’s more about the demeanor and the calmness in net than the actual production.

When it comes to goaltending, stats can be swayed this way or that to an extent. A great defense will help out an average goaltender (cough Martin Jones cough). A bad defense will make a great goaltender look average on some nights. So it comes down to response and calm under fire.

The Blues have two of the best in that category. This isn’t a discussion about who is better or who should be playing in 2016-17. It’s about how both goaltenders have picked each other up, taken their games to the next level and proved they are both capable of leading this team.

Corsi had a part to play in all of that. Under his coaching, Elliott has gone from a decent goaltender with super save ability to one who is much calmer, smoother and in good position.

You can tell when Elliott is going to be on his game now. He’s moving laterally with a fluidity that looks like he’s gliding instead of forcing himself from one spot to the next. He’s calmly putting himself in good position relative to the shooter by reading the play. He’s not overextending himself.

Allen seemed to be a cool customer right out of the gate, but has learned under Corsi as well. An NHL season is a mental grind and that’s where Allen had to learn. It’s one thing to have good physical attributes, but Allen has begun to learn the ups and downs of a full season and how to bounce back once the doubts creep into your head.

Corsi could leave now and the Blues are not going to crumble. Elliott isn’t going to devolve into a true backup. Allen isn’t going to implode. The Blues will still have one of the best goaltending tandems in the league.

Next: Free Agents The Blues Could Consider Part 1

The comparison to a golf swing coach is very apt. The talent isn’t just sucked out of the player because their coach leaves. However, it’s in those little moments where perhaps they aren’t as sharp or don’t make the adjustment as quickly.

Jim Corsi doesn’t have a huge affect on the day to day operations of the Blues, but he has a big impact nevertheless. We should all hope that he is one of the coaches that returns to keep those little details in tact for the Blues biggest positional asset.