St. Louis Stoppers Slump Busting Tip Amid Record-Setting Season

Brian Elliott and St. Louis Blues had a rare hiccup Sunday, blowing a 1-0 third period lead in Chicago, an uncharacteristic 3-1 loss that can be attributed to playing the second half of back-to-back afternoon games, a rarity for the Blues.

So too is giving up a goal. Elliott had his shutout streak end at 163:53 over three games, a run that included a 13-shot blanking of the Minnesota Wild for his sixth shutout of the season. That matches the six goose eggs produced by playing partner Jaroslav Halak, who had to beg off weekend duties after coming down with the flu, leaving the duo one shy of the franchise-record 13 shutouts, set in 1968-69 by the tandem of Glenn Hall and Jacques Plante.

Individually, both Halak and Elliott are two shy of matching Hall’s record of eight shutouts, also set in 1968-69. Elliott is also tied with Henrik Lundqvist for the NHL lead with a .940 save percentage, and leads the League with an astonishing 1.56 goals-against average. Halak isn’t far behind in both categories despite a sluggish start to the season.

Clearly the Blues goalies are benefitting from a stingy defensive system – and incredible commitment to it – since Ken Hitchcock took over behind the bench. But seeing the fewest shots in the NHL isn’t always easy, especially when you are splitting up the starts the way Halak and Elliott are, so it helps to have a few secrets to stay sharp during down time.

St. Louis goaltending coach Corey Hirsch shared one of them in the latest edition of InGoal Magazine. It’s a simple trick Elliott has used this season, and one that can help any goaltender avoid slumps and get back in “the zone” quickly.

Read all about it in InGoal Magazine.