Brian Elliott Makes Amazing Glove Save For The Second Start In A Row

If miracles like this happen every time he starts, he's not a goaltender anymore, he's a superhero. The guy has reflexes of a cat. I'm beginning to think that with Elliott, his past struggles have been more the team in front of him, not himself totally. When you're backstopping the worst teams in both the Eastern and Western Conference in the same season, your numbers're going to suffer, right?

Carolina Hurricanes At St. Louis Blues: Blues Fight Back, Win 3-2 In Overtime

Normally last season the Blues would allow themselves to blow a lead and would just give up the ghost. If they were already trailing in a game, a racheting up of the effort would happen only occasionally.

Tonight was not one of those nights. If this is the beginning of how the Blues can play when they’re behind the 8-ball, then they need to be behind it more often: it’s magic. They maintained control through the third period, limiting the Carolina Hurricanes to just 9 shots on goaltender Brian Elliott before the horn blew to signal the end of regulation.

Fans could be forgiven for thinking it was good fortune that the Blues got the point for OT and leaving it at that, especially after an ill-advised hooking penalty taken sixteen seconds into the overtime period. Thankfully the Blues’ penalty kill stepped up, but more importantly so did Brian Elliott. Elliott made several highlight reel saves in overtime on shots that by all accounts should have gone in.

The Blues won on a tip-in courtesy of Matt D’Agostini on Cam Ward, who was too busy defending against Vladimir Sobotka that he didn’t notice D’Agostini to his left. D’Ags had a shot at a gaping goal, and unlike Steen’s shot in the first, nothing got in his way.

The Blues are next in action tomorrow evening at 6:00 against the Philadelphia Flyers. This game marks the start of yet another long road trip for St. Louis. They won’t be back in Scottrade until November 4th.

Carolina Hurricanes At St. Louis Blues: Game All Tied Up After Second Period

As I suggested in the last update, consistency would be beneficial to the Blues. Thankfully, they finally played some solid hockey for an extended stretch of time. Unfortunately it took the Hurricanes’ Brandon Sutter to wrist a shot past Elliott to wake the Blues up, but boy, did it.

Fighting in front of the net for the rebound from a Jamie Langenbrunner shot got the puck to Jason Arnott, who was able to wrist it in over Cam Ward’s pads. Constant offensive pressure and much improved puck possession were hallmarks of the second period for the Blues, and things that need to carry over to the third period.

David Backes is credited for the tying goal at 16:09 with no assists. Tim Gleason should be given a tip of the hat by Blues fans for that one, as he deflected a Backes shot past Ward on accident to knot the game at two.

Matt D’Agostini went hard into the boards at the end of the period, and returned to the Blues locker room promptly. It appeared that he was favoring his right hand or wrist, so keep your fingers crossed that the third period sees D’Ags back out there.

Carolina Hurricanes At St. Louis Blues: Canes Lead 1-0 After One

Consistency would be a word that I would like to apply to the Blues. Not “like to apply” as in they are consistent, but “like to apply” in that they need to be so, especially within the course of one period. There’s usually an ebb and flow of effort within one period of a game, but not necessarily because one team lets up and then pushes, lets up and pushes. That’s what the Blues’re doing. T.J. Oshie, Chris Stewart, and Alexander Steen have gotten some outstanding looks (especially Steen’s wide open empty netter that was stick blocked by Joni Pitkanen perfectly), but the effort, the push just hasn’t been there all period.

Jay Harrison has scored the only goal so far on a slap shot past a screened Brian Elliott. Elliott has been decent with puck tracking, especially up close, but it’s still not as crisp and effortless as it needs to be. The Blues’ scoring, though, would be helpful to Elliott. The Blues’ have scored at an anemic rate, with Alex Steen’s goal in the 3rd period of the Ducks game the last goal.

Carolina Hurricanes At St. Louis Blues: Will The Blues Just Snap Out Of It?

The Blues have been outscored, outskated, and out special-teamed in each of their four losses. Tonight they face a Conn Smythe winning goaltender in an East/West duel of the Stewart brothers.