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With Elliott hurting, Halak gets the call in Game 1

St. Louis Blues v Chicago Blackhawks

CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 13: Jaroslav Halak #41 of the St. Louis Blues stretches before facing the Chicago Blackhawks in a shootout at the United Center on March 13, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois. The Blackhawks defeated the Blues 4-3 in a shootout. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

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It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, but Blues coach Ken Hitchcock named Jaroslav Halak as his starter for Game 1 of their playoff series against San Jose.

It’s no surprise as the other contender to start, Brian Elliott, is hurting with an upper body injury. While the injury has kept Elliott out of practices, Hitchcock says Elliott is well enough that if he called on him to start he’d be able to. Gamesmanship or not, Halak getting the nod isn’t a stunner.

If Halak can pull off the same theatrics he did in 2010 with Montreal, the Blues are in great hands in the playoffs. Should he struggle a bit though, the pressure shifts to Elliott and his shutout-having ways to create his own playoff legacy and avoid being upended by the Sharks.