While the Calgary Flames are not be happy with the outcome of last night’s 4-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues, they weren’t too down on themselves.
“I rarely say after a 4-0 loss, ‘We played a decent game,’ ” Flames head coach Bob Hartley told the Calgary Sun. They simply had their hands full with a great team playing an effective game in front of a solid goaltender. Blues netminder Brian Elliott got some help, but he also did his part, stopping 25 shots, and in the process made a little bit of history.
That was his 21st shutout since he joined the Blues in 2011-12, which is a new franchise best. He beat former teammate Jaroslav Halak’s mark of 20 shutouts.
“It’s definitely something you don’t really think about, franchise records,” Elliott said, per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I didn’t even see myself in St. Louis four years ago. So it’s kind of weird. But it was a complete team effort, and these past four years, guys have been putting their bodies on the line to block shots and really playing hard in front of me. It’s definitely a testament to these last four years that I’ve been here.”
Elliott has a 2.11 GAA, .922 save percentage, and five shutouts in 40 contests this season. Those are impressive numbers, but given the 29-year-old’s relative lack of playoff experience (he’s played in 18 games), it will be interesting to see how he does, especially seeing as expectations are high for St. Louis this year.