GDT #70: 3/11/12 > Blues @ BJ's > 5:00 PM > FSMW/KMOX

[dmiles2186]

Per the stories I've read, Dan Mac finally realized his drinking problem got the best of him and FSMW would only let him back on the air if he proved he was serious about fixing himself. So he made some changes, dropped the weight, etc. I say good for him. It's been easy to make fun of him, but in all seriousness, I hope that as a man, husband, father, etc. he stays on the straight and narrow. He hit some pretty low points, and in public no less.

But he still does look like freaky after all the weight loss.

[gaijin]

Holy crap. We've killed 47 consecutive penalties?!?

[STLADOGG]

Holy crap. We've killed 47 consecutive penalties?!?

I think they were just trying to boost that number tonight..not like Columbus would score on us lol...8 penalties killed tonight...outrageous.

[ohio BLUES]

Kind of a boring one but it's a W, in the only game I'll attend probably all season, unless we get DEEEP in the playoffs and I happen to be in STL late in May.

was huge when the defense lapsed, that's pretty much the story of this one.

Hitch has to find a way to keep this well oiled machine churning at the right time. I hope we're not peaking now.

[cprice12]

Any win on the road is a good win.
Columbus came to play tonight. They were giving it all they had...but Halak held the fort.

Huge win.

[goon attack]

All this winning is so damn boring.

[dmiles2186]

By the way, where's the love for Halak? Several people were so quick to jump on him and call him a bust when he was slow out of the gate. Dude is destroying everything in his path right now.

[cprice12]

By the way, where's the love for Halak? Several people were so quick to jump on him and call him a bust when he was slow out of the gate. Dude is destroying everything in his path right now.

Halak was HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE to start the season and deserved the criticism. And after he started getting the wins and putting up much better numbers (and getting praise from seemingly everyone), he obviously still wasn't sharp, especially his glove hand, which has only recently improved to the point of not being an issue anymore.

I'm not sure what his issue was, but he has turned his season around in a massive way and for his numbers to be where they are now after the start he had? Wow.
I'd love to see his numbers minus his first 6 starts or so.
Elliott, on the other hand, has been pretty much lights out the entire season.
If Payne had sat Halak when he was struggling early in the season and played Elliott as the #1 at the time, we'd have the President's trophy all but locked up already.

[DaDitka]

.
I'd love to see his numbers minus his first 6 starts or so.

I posted his stats minus October in another thread and they are actually better then Elliot's (at least the save percentage was).

[F Keenan]

If Payne had sat Halak when he was struggling early in the season and played Elliott as the #1 at the time, we'd have the President's trophy all but locked up already.

However, I feel 10x better with Halak going into the playoffs than I would with Elliott. Ells deserves a TON of credit for keeping the boat above water while we waited for Halak to find his game again. With Jaro starting to get back to the level that he displayed in Montreal, this team can roll through any series. Ells is a very good goalie. In the playoffs, good goalies can win a series, but great goalies can steal them.

In the long run, I think we are fortunate that Ells was here not only to bridge the gap, but push Jaro to where he is today. His early season struggles have helped him elevate his game.

On a side note, I think we can point to the shutout in Montreal as the game where Jaro turned the corner. For whatever reason, he needed some sort of closure with departing the Canadiens. The guy has gotten better with every start ever since.

[cprice12]

If Payne had sat Halak when he was struggling early in the season and played Elliott as the #1 at the time, we'd have the President's trophy all but locked up already.

However, I feel 10x better with Halak going into the playoffs than I would with Elliott. Ells deserves a TON of credit for keeping the boat above water while we waited for Halak to find his game again. With Jaro starting to get back to the level that he displayed in Montreal, this team can roll through any series. Ells is a very good goalie. In the playoffs, good goalies can win a series, but great goalies can steal them.

In the long run, I think we are fortunate that Ells was here not only to bridge the gap, but push Jaro to where he is today. His early season struggles have helped him elevate his game.

On a side note, I think we can point to the shutout in Montreal as the game where Jaro turned the corner. For whatever reason, he needed some sort of closure with departing the Canadiens. The guy has gotten better with every start ever since.

I am finally at the point now to where I don't care who starts. Both guys are lights out and solid as can be right now.
Elliott has been that way all season. It took Halak some time to get there, but he has arrived.
I guess I feel more confident with Halak starting in the playoffs, only because he has had playoff success in Montreal and has more playoff experience.

This is such a weird feeling having the two best goalies in the league.

[northwest dave]

Good hard win by the boys. Not only a back-to-back game, but against a team that had been on a win streak and has been playing some good hard nose hockey. This had all the set up of a letdown by the Blues. But in a business manner, the boys got it done.