Brian Elliott’s name may not come to mind when you think about the top goalies in the NHL, but he’s certainly made a name for himself this postseason.
The Blues goalie has come up big a number of times throughout the playoffs, including in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final on Sunday. Elliott did benefit from a quick whistle and some goal posts, but he came up huge when his team needed him most.
“He was really good in the second period when we needed him,” Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said after Game 1. “That’s what happens, you’re gonna need him sometimes. I thought he made big saves in the second and helped us.”
As Hitchcock mentioned, Elliott’s second period performance was key. The Blues were outshot 16-5 in the middle frame, but they still went into the intermission with a 2-1 lead.
“When your goalie is your best player, it gives you a great chance of winning, and that was the case tonight,” said Blues captain David Backes. “It’s been that way for the first two rounds and nothing’s changed here in Game 1 of the third round.”
Postseason success against the Sharks isn’t exactly new to Elliott.
.@KidElls1 improved to 4-0 with a 1.29 GAA and .954 SV% in five career postseason appearances vs. SJS. #STLvsSJS pic.twitter.com/W9te6l3nFA
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 16, 2016
The 31-year-old will enter Game 2 with a 9-6 record, a 2.20 goals-against-average and a .932 save percentage.