As the Eastern Conference finals between the New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens begin today, I am in a state of bittersweet sadness. A mixture of envy, excitement, impatience and a dead cynical outlook. I still think about the St. Louis Blues. This cold week of weather here in St. Louis this week brought back bitter memories of last month’s defeat to the Chicago Blackhawks. Seeing Rangers and Canadiens ride their respective goaltenders, Carey Price and Henrik Lundqvist, into the Eastern Conference finals, makes me think even more about the Blues. In those teams, I see a sense of stability, confidence and swagger in net that I yearn for here with the Blues. A team full of potential year after year that always seems to be finding them home on the couch during these conference final rounds of playoff hockey.
Every single fan in the city of St. Louis can give you their diagnosis and tell you what is the missing link or the biggest problem. They have as much of a right to do that as anybody else. The Blues fan base came back twice to support this team in the past 10 years. After the strike in 2005 and when the teams had a partial lockout in 2011. It’s only been 44 years since the team last made it to a Stanley Cup and the anticipation for a Cup to call their own has reached nearly 50 years. So what it’s all about with the Blues? What is holding them back? I can tell you what a big piece of the solution is with one word. Goaltending. Plain and simple.
When was the last time the Blues had true stability in net? I am not talking about Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott tag teaming the duties the past 3 seasons. Roman Turek was solid in the regular season but will forever be known for his playoff collapses. Grant Fuhr was great but his stint was short term and cut even shorter by brutal injury. Curtis Joseph is the man you could look to last as a long term answer in net for the St. Louis Blues and he only played 3 full seasons with others cut short by injury or his sudden trade(137-96 W-L record). This is where Blues fans will throw heat on Mike Keenan for sending Joseph away because the goalie was solid for 7 more seasons with Toronto, Detroit and Phoenix(138-97 with Toronto for 5 seasons). That’s a valid point but when it comes to sports it’s best not to dwell on the past and try to figure out the future. The biggest need for this team is a man in net here to stay.
Sure the team can use the services of Jarmoir Jagr, Jarome Iginla, or even St. Louis’ own Paul Statsny to bolster their scoring touch in the playoffs. Proven performers that can hit the net in the most crucial of times would be a solid addition. However, the biggest need this team has is a goaltender that they know is here to stay and defend their goal for the foreseeable future. Stop gaps get tiresome very quick and aging expensive goaltenders aren’t good either. The team will never know what they truly had with Halak because he never got the playoff shot and that is where a guy is truly tested. Halak put up solid stats yet never seem to be able to stay healthy or receive the team’s complete confidence.
Doug Armstrong can give Brian Elliott a one year deal and a raise to go claim a multi-year deal somewhere else or possibly lock up this spot here but everybody knows Jake Allen is the future for the Blues in net. This is the best part of the plan. In my mind, the Blues already have that long term guy in their system. Allen is that guy. I wrote right after the Blues were ousted by Chicago last month that the keys need to be handed to Allen. Let me say it again and give more weight to my answer.
Over the past four season, The Blues have gotten this kind of production out of their goaltenders.
*Halak-83-47 with 20 shutouts, 2.35 goals against average, 159 games played
*Elliott-55-24 with 16 shutouts and a 1.70 goals against average, 93 games played
*Allen-9-4 with 1 shutout and a 2.46 goals against average, 15 games played
Add it up and you have a record of 147-75, 37 shutouts and an average of 2.10 goals allowed per game. These stats are wicked and make a person wonder if that is the true issue on this team. The quick response is no but what a great playoff team badly needs is stability in net. A long term answer.
I am envious of what The Rangers and Canadiens have in net. Long term answers. Great players and stoppers in Price and Lundqvist. Both are proven regular season performers but more important have played excellent in the postseason. When the Rangers got the final rounds, the team knew the goaltender was going to do his job and hold down the fort. I want that in St. Louis because at the most basic level of a playoff hockey team is a solid road strong big time goaltender. Someone who will stop the easy shots as well as steal a few games for their team when their hockey sticks can’t seem to find the net. The request isn’t too much to ask when the answer is already in your house.
Ryan Miller shouldn’t be brought back. It would be like inviting a killer back to a crime scene and asking them to clean up. It would awkward and the wrong route to push a team built at the moment to get right back to the playoffs and chase the Cup again in 2014-15. Miller didn’t completely fail but he was a disappointment. When the team couldn’t score, he rarely was able to steal a game for them in net. Against Corey Crawford, Miller was outplayed and shook his head constantly at his inability to take over a game. A goaltender is like the ace of a pitching staff and sometimes teams rely on one person to carry them through a fire. Miller failed and many fans pointed out at the time of the trade that this wasn’t the right move. For a team cursed with inconsistent goaltending and the inability to believe in the guy they have, it was a move of desperation.
I want a goaltender that is going to begin his career in St. Louis and finish it in St. Louis. A legitimate long term solution in goal is key to this team’s chances of getting to a Stanley Cup final sometime before the end of the decade. There is no guarantee Jake Allen is that guy but it would be wise at this point to see what you have in him before you sign another aging netminder to a long term deal. Bring back Elliott on a one year incentive laden deal and make him fight for it while putting Allen in the mix.
Be smart with not only your cash but your decision making this summer, Doug Armstrong. The city of St. Louis is getting impatient and badly wants a winner sometime soon. That hunt begins by finding a goalie who you believe will play for the Blues longer than 2-4 years. Find a true keeper in the net and a Stanley Cup may follow.
