After sitting out for the last 3 games (8 days), it appears Halak will get a chance to redeem himself this weekend.
It has been confirmed that Elliot will start in tonights game. Which means Halak will again be forced to wait his turn. The next game Halak plays in will be huge, because iff Halak can prove himself he could be placed back in the starting position.
Was Elliot the logical choice for tonight?
I would've prefered to see Halak start because he hasn't played in awhile, which isn't good for any goaltender, and I also would've liked to see him get a chance to prove himself now that he knows his playing time is at stake.
Elliot is performing very well every night and its hard for the Blues to ignore that and put Halak back in. Elliot is giving the Blues an alternate option in goal. He is also pushing Halak to show up with his "A" game when he does get his chance. Both of these are reasons the Blues picked him up in the offseason.
Halak knows he must be better, and understands the Blues position
"Obviously I would love to play, but Brian has been playing good," Halak said. "We get a hot goalie, so he deserves to play. He's won some games and obviously coach wants to ride the goalie that won the game for him.
What to expect from Halak....
When he returns in net, I expect Halak to bounce back very well. Is this wishful thinking? Possibly...but I also think Halak knows he needs to improve, and knowing that he HAS to play well to keep his spot should push him to improve his game.
Halak's stats....
Halak is 1-4-0 with a 3.47 GAA and a .835 sv% which is far below where it needs to be. The one win Halak has this season came against tonights opponents...the Flames.
Conclusion...
After Elliot's shutout performance against the Canucks, Elliot may be the wise choice for tonight, but regardless, I still would've liked to see Halak tonight. One thing is for certain though, when Halak does start his next game, he has to prove himself because if he under performs he will be right back on the bench, and Elliot will be called upon to play as a "number one goaltender". With this being said, if he plays well then I would assume he gets his job back for the time being.
Quotes taken from STLtoday article>>>link
Also Read: Blues News #3