Elliott ready for his latest playoff opportunity with Blues

If nothing else, Brian Elliott has a lot of patience.

Since joining the St. Louis Blues in 2011, the veteran goaltender has been a playoff starter, a playoff backup, an emergency injury replacement and not used at all.

He’s watched as Jaroslav Halak, Ryan Miller and Jake Allen have been given postseason opportunities instead of him.

When the Blues open their first-round playoff series Wednesday against the Chicago Blackhawks, the 31-year-old Elliott will be making his first NHL playoff start since a Game 6 loss to the Los Angeles Kings in 2013.

Is he ready? There is no doubt, but he’s not taking a single minute of net time for granted.

“It’s this season. It’s today,” said Elliott, who took over the starter’s role this season only when Jake Allen suffered a knee injury on Jan. 8. “There’s no yesterday, there’s no past seasons, there’s no future. It’s today.

“That’s how I’m preparing — do your best, come here to work every day and when it’s game day, that’s when it counts.”

Elliott has been more than just a steadying force in goal for the Blues this season. He compiled a 23-8-6 record, led the NHL in save percentage (.930) and was second in goals-against average (2.06).

He has a franchise-record 25 shutouts during his tenure and posted three straight shutouts at one point this season, putting together a stretch of 198 minutes, 12 seconds of scoreless hockey. Not that Elliott has spent any time patting himself on the back for those sterling goaltending milestones.

“It’s another regular season in the books,” he said. “It’s something to be proud of and now having the opportunity to get in the net for the big dance, that’s what it’s all about. That’s why you play.”

Goaltending a big part of Blues’ success

Blues coach Ken Hitchcock praised the work done by both goaltenders this season. Allen was 26-15-3 with six shutouts, a 2.35 goals-against average and .920 save percentage.

“The goalies have been the story,” Hitchcock said. “Brian or Jake, they’ve been the story of the team. They’ve been the two guys that have held us together when things were slipping. They’re both good goalies; Brian gets a chance to start ‘er up and he’s earned it.”

“But it’s a real good feeling on the bench and in the coaches room when you know you’ve got two good goalies that can win you games. They’ve done it all year and I don’t see that changing.”

Does Elliott look at this playoff opportunity as a chance at redemption? A chance to prove himself?

“I haven’t really put too much thought into it,” said Elliott, 5-8 in 15 career playoff appearances for the Blues with a 2.16 goals-against average and .910 save percentage. “Every game this year, it’s been ‘You have your opportunity to play and you want to be the best for the guys and be that backstop.’

“It doesn’t really change going into here. If you put too much pressure on yourself that goes against you so you play your game, have that focus and that internal pressure you put on yourself. Just go out there and perform.”

Elliott got 26 minutes of playoff relief work last season when Allen was in net for a first-round playoff loss to the Minnesota Wild. Elliott watched Miller, whom, the Blues acquired from Buffalo at the 2014 trade deadline, play during a first-round loss that spring to the Blackhawks.

This time it is Elliott’s job to turn away shots from Blackhawks stars like Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and impressive Russian Artemi Panarin.

“We’ve seen it all along, it’s the same group of guys that they have there with a couple of new ones added in,” Elliott said of the ‘Hawks. “They’re a good team, we just have to focus on our own game. If we take care of our own business ... that’s what our focus is on right now.”

This story was originally published April 11, 2016 at 4:13 PM with the headline "Elliott ready for his latest playoff opportunity with Blues."