Blues aim for 2-0 edge in series with Blackhawks
The St. Louis Blues have plenty of pieces still in place from their previous postseason failures.
Maybe goaltender Brian Elliott is the change that finally drives them into the second round.
After posting the Blues' first playoff shutout in four years, Elliott looks to lift them to a 2-0 lead Friday night over the Chicago Blackhawks -- who will get top defenseman Duncan Keith back -- in the Western Conference quarterfinals.
The Blues could be facing their final shot at a deep playoff run with coach Ken Hitchcock and the core of their current roster after first-round exits the previous three seasons.
Elliott, however, is the new face in goal as St. Louis tries to change its postseason fortunes. A strong regular season and dominant closing stretch -- he went 12-1-1 with a 1.90 goals-against average in his last 16 games -- earned Elliott the starting nod ahead of oft-injured Jake Allen, and he came through in Wednesday's opener.
Elliott made 35 saves in a 1-0 overtime win that ended when David Backes' pass deflected off Chicago defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk's skate and past goalie Corey Crawford.
The ugly goal gave the Blues their third straight victory over Chicago.
"You just try to get your emotions in check and try not to get too revved up, calm yourself down a little bit when needed," Elliott said. "At this time of the year it's just about that next game. You're not looking at the past or the future."
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Elliott led the league with a .930 save percentage and posted a 1.76 GAA and three shutouts in his final eight starts.
He started all six games in a 2013 playoff loss to Los Angeles but made only his second postseason appearance since then in Game 1. Elliott logged the Blues' first playoff shutout since he shared one with Jaroslav Halak on April 14, 2012.
St. Louis, though, has little reason to be overly confident. The Blues appeared in control against the Blackhawks in 2014 after winning twice in overtime at home to start the series, then dropped four straight, two of which went to OT.
All three Blues wins in this regular season's five-game series required overtime, and they've played four straight OT playoff games against the Blackhawks in St. Louis. Chicago went 4-1 in overtime games in last season's playoffs en route to its third Stanley Cup in six seasons.
The well-tested Blackhawks felt they played well Wednesday, and the return of Keith should provide a big boost. The 2015 Conn Smythe winner served the final game of a six-game suspension for high-sticking Minnesota's Charlie Coyle on March 29.
"We're happy to have him back," coach Joel Quenneville said. "He gives us some speed, he gives us a lot of different looks and a lot of other options."
Crawford was sharp with 17 saves in just his second game back from nearly a month-long absence due to a head injury, but the Blackhawks went 0 for 5 on the power play.
Hitchcock called Backes' goal "fluky."
"That's the type of goal that gets scored in overtime," defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson said. "But they deserved it too, and we've got to find a way to score."
