Ramping up the offense along with their patented physicality (the Blues registered 41 hits in Game 1) should be a recipe for success. That’s why when the Flyers commence their first playoff series in eight years against him and the Capitals Thursday night, they better not give him every chance to show just how good an office worker he can be. The decisive shot deflected off a Blackhawks defenseman and was characterized by Backes after the game as an “ugly goal”. “I specialize in those and rightfully so”. “We’re certainly not going to talk about what he does well”. It’s a victory and we’ll move on.
Advertisement
“If we can get him to react and get him to maybe get suspended another few games, I think it’ll be better for us”, Shattenkirk added.
Elliott shared a playoff shutout in 2012 after relieving the injured Jaroslav Halak in Game 2 of the first round against San Jose. “We know it’s not going to be easy”, Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. If Game 1 was any indication, the first-round series between two Western Conference powers in the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues will be a long one. Jake Allen had six of the shutouts.
Some had a high degree of difficulty, including a breakaway stop on ‘Hawks captain Jonathan Toews seven minutes into the second period.
After Patrick Kane won the ensuing faceoff, Artemi Panarin’s wrist shot was stopped by Elliott, Deep shots by Brent Seabrook and Marian Hossa missed and Artem Anisimov, Teuvo Teravainen and Trevor van Riemsdyk had shots blocked. But this is also uncharted territory for Trotz, who said he’s never gone into a playoff series as the prohibitive favorite, something Washington will be when it opens against the Philadelphia Flyers. We’re out there a lot, so if we can lead the charge in terms of the overall game, if that’s going to get guys going, we’re going to have to do that.
“At this time of the year it’s just about that next game, you’re not looking in the past or the future”. It’s not just running into people, but it’s playing through the checking. So they’ve been on that island. Both Souray and Tom Gilbert got beat to the puck, then Joe Pavelski beat Souray around the net, then various San Jose players beat various Oilers in front of the net before the puck was banged in. 926 save percentage. That included three consecutive shutouts March 19-25 against Vancouver (twice) and San Jose.
Zimmerman wouldn’t say if the post-season is the difference between the Blues finishing in the red or the black. “We’re a confident group”. “We gave up a couple 2-on-1’s and a breakaway early in the game and he stood tall for us, did a lot of good things”. Elliott has not had a playoff decision since the lockout-shortened 2013 season. Blues coach Ken Hitchcock will likely use the benefit of the last change and get Tarasenko on the ice against the Hawks second and third D pairings. Both teams did a strong job eliminating second efforts through physical play or by clearing the puck.
This time the Blues got the big break.
“Like he said this morning, he’s used to it”, Hitchcock said of Elliott’s confidence.
“Especially guys who like to skate with the puck, who like to join the rush, who just want to really not be touched out there, you find yourself nearly like you’re in quicksand”. “I think that’s how we’re going to score goals in this series”. “It was a tough bounce, but we’ve got to feel good about how we played”.
Advertisement
“Els was phenomenal”, Backes said. “He has been all year, whenever he’s been called upon”.
