I'm not gonna lie,I became a Blues fan when Halak arrived.After 14 years of being a Habs fan,I just got tired of all the stupid moves pulled by management.During that time,I had the chance to learn some hockey from a different point of view and it's very cool to see how the media doesn't affect this team because in Montreal,the smallest thing you do is going to be on front page of the newspaper.
I had a great time this season,I never really had the chance to cheer for a winning team since I became a hockey fan.The only thing that's been frustrating for me is to see how much Jaroslav Halak is not being appreciated.Seriously,you guys suffered for year and year whitout a dominant goalie,now that you have one and it seems like you don't want him for whatever reason.
Watching Elliot play in the East with Ottawa,it's really crazy to see how he changed his career.He deserves all the success he's having right now and he should play until he starts to cool down.
I just feel some people don't like Halak because Elliot is a underdog but Halak was always a underdog too until he proved the corrupted management in Montreal wrong.
Just remember Blues fans,you got a amazing goalie with Jaroslav Halak but the sad part I feel is that none of you got the chance to see what really makes him great.Not only is this guy a amazing goaltender but he's a true team player,he's never going to complain and always bring a winning attitude.He's also a clutch goalie,he has the ability to rob you some big games.
I'm not gonna lie,I became a Blues fan when Halak arrived.After 14 years of being a Habs fan,I just got tired of all the stupid moves pulled by management.During that time,I had the chance to learn some hockey from a different point of view and it's very cool to see how the media doesn't affect this team because in Montreal,the smallest thing you do is going to be on front page of the newspaper.
I had a great time this season,I never really had the chance to cheer for a winning team since I became a hockey fan.The only thing that's been frustrating for me is to see how much Jaroslav Halak is not being appreciated.Seriously,you guys suffered for year and year whitout a dominant goalie,now that you have one and it seems like you don't want him for whatever reason.
Watching Elliot play in the East with Ottawa,it's really crazy to see how he changed his career.He deserves all the success he's having right now and he should play until he starts to cool down.
I just feel some people don't like Halak because Elliot is a underdog but Halak was always a underdog too until he proved the corrupted management in Montreal wrong.
Just remember Blues fans,you got a amazing goalie with Jaroslav Halak but the sad part I feel is that none of you got the chance to see what really makes him great.Not only is this guy a amazing goaltender but he's a true team player,he's never going to complain and always bring a winning attitude.He's also a clutch goalie,he has the ability to rob you some big games.
99% of us love the tandem. As you've seen yourself, Elliott has just earned respect with his play. I confess it's weird to hear a Montreal fan talk about giving up on the franchise because of lack of success (!!) but we've suffered far longer. We've had far worse postseason goalies than has your franchise, so we're especially sensitive to it. I was blown away by Halak in 2010. He was just ridiculous. But why did you love him? Because he performed so well for your team in the clutch when you most needed it. Isn't that the most natural thing? We just want our team to win and when we see how clutch Elliott's been this year when we've most needed it (keeping the team afloat in the beginning when Halak struggled, coming in when Halak was injured and holding the Sharks to five goals in just under four games, three of those when the game was all but finished), we just bond with the guy.
If Elliott falters in a game right now, it's a warm feeling to have Halak ready to come in. If Halak falters in a game, it's a warm feeling to have Elliott ready to go. I really believe fans are going to have to get used to tandems because it's going to be the way of the new NHL when teams stop spending so much $$ on a #1. It sets up a dangerous situation if that guy falters (see Bryzgalov, Ilya and Luongo, Roberto).
Yeah, the thing with the Kings and Blues being the last 67s not to win the Cup kind of makes their fan base relatable. And I have fond memories of Dionne Simmer Taylor in those awesome purple and gold crown unis playing at The Arena. It's funny, you don't want to be the last team to win, but then if one of them did, I think the one that won would want the other fan base to experience it even more.
Of course, if the Blues play LA it's going to be much more physical than this Sharks series was so we'll probably have a healthy hate going by the end.
First game this year, the 5-0 game, was honestly the most embarrassing game I've seen in years from the Blues. Those kinds of games are horrible, like when the Kings let the Wings put up a snowman earlier this year. They're not really representatitve. The other three games were very, very tight, each had a one goal win and then the dual shutout game. Kind of a coin flip series, despite the seedings. Most of the series will probably be spent tied or one-goal lead, and both teams are used to that.
I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch, but if the Kings make it to the second round, it will be a very exciting series with the Blues - even though fans from other teams will write it off as "boring" before watching a game. It won't be high scoring, but it will be high tension. Every goal will matter, and the team that loses its composure just for an instant may lose the game.
Here's a better version of last 2 minutes of the game. There's still a couple small dropouts but it's a lot better version than the chunked up first version. Sorry about that, computer issues and DTV was not the best for me yesterday either.
99% of us love the tandem. As you've seen yourself, Elliott has just earned respect with his play. I confess it's weird to hear a Montreal fan talk about giving up on the franchise because of lack of success (!!) but we've suffered far longer. We've had far worse postseason goalies than has your franchise, so we're especially sensitive to it. I was blown away by Halak in 2010. He was just ridiculous. But why did you love him? Because he performed so well for your team in the clutch when you most needed it. Isn't that the most natural thing? We just want our team to win and when we see how clutch Elliott's been this year when we've most needed it (keeping the team afloat in the beginning when Halak struggled, coming in when Halak was injured and holding the Sharks to five goals in just under four games, three of those when the game was all but finished), we just bond with the guy.
If Elliott falters in a game right now, it's a warm feeling to have Halak ready to come in. If Halak falters in a game, it's a warm feeling to have Elliott ready to go. I really believe fans are going to have to get used to tandems because it's going to be the way of the new NHL when teams stop spending so much $$ on a #1. It sets up a dangerous situation if that guy falters (see Bryzgalov, Ilya and Luongo, Roberto).
You are putting word in my mouth,I never quit on the Habs because they were losing,they quit on me because of stupid moves.Heck,the Blues got D'agostini for free and should have paid more then Eller for Halak.There's something extremely wrong when you have a team filled with talented young players and you let them go for absolutely nothing,this team should have been a powerhouse in the east but they screwed up.I never loved Halak for the 2010 playoff's,he was already the man before that but management was corrupted and never gived him a chance even if he was outplaying Price for more then a year.
Enough of the Habs talk,all I'm saying is that some people here should appreciate Jaroslav a bit more,we got a solid goalie for years to come.Elliot is great but we are going to need Halak if we want to win the cup.
You are putting word in my mouth,I never quit on the Habs because they were losing,they quit on me because of stupid moves.Heck,the Blues got D'agostini for free and should have paid more then Eller for Halak.There's something extremely wrong when you have a team filled with talented young players and you let them go for absolutely nothing,this team should have been a powerhouse in the east but they screwed up.I never loved Halak for the 2010 playoff's,he was already the man before that but management was corrupted and never gived him a chance even if he was outplaying Price for more then a year.
Enough of the Habs talk,all I'm saying is that some people here should appreciate Jaroslav a bit more,we got a solid goalie for years to come.Elliot is great but we are going to need Halak if we want to win the cup.
Didn't intend to put words in your mouth, just a generic "lack of success." Not a huge semantic difference, since there's high correlation between making bad management decisions and not winning.
I'm just curious, what is it you wish more people said? Good things about Halak, or good things about Halak specifically relative to Elliott? Because I'm on board with half of that.
all I'm saying is that some people here should appreciate Jaroslav a bit more,we got a solid goalie for years to come.Elliot is great but we are going to need Halak if we want to win the cup.
Well not me then, cause I've made it clear I love Halak. I'll be ready to see him play again. I hope he's with the Blues for a long time. I probably didn't see any of the disrespectful posts, but don't mistake appreciation for Elliott as no love for Halak. I do like them both. But liking one doesn't mean less like for the other. I very much look forward to Halak's return, and I think he'll do great. I don't think I favor one over the other though. I love that we have them both and that we have this "problem" of which goalie to use? I think it's great they can rely on each other and help each other when one is down.
The undercurrent of the tension among fans about Halak/Elliott (and, as "controversies" go it's pretty mild) has two main pieces.
The first piece is the attitude by some fans that when we talk about goalies, it's totally cool to praise both as long as we premise our discussion with an acknowledgement that there's a clear 1-2 hierarchy (Halak is the "starter," Elliott is the "backup"). Lots and lots of posts would always throw that jab in there at Elliott, that he was the "backup." The rationale? "He just is." Why "Because he just is."
The second piece was those who didn't like that attitude being woven into post after post after post responding with praise for both goalies but making sure to point out that if we really must get into it, Elliott has been the slightly better goalie. It's a tight contest because Halak has been very strong since he got over his awful October. But even then, Elliott has him just pipped. He's been that incredible every time asked to play.
So now that Elliott is performing in the playoffs the way he's played all year, no difference, a lot of the people who took the position that "cmon, people, let's be real, Halak's the starter and Elliott's the backup" are not winning that argument and are perceiving slights to their guy. The irony is the Elliott folks haven't ever argued "cmon folks, Elliott's the starter, Halak's the backup, let's be real here." All the Elliott folks have argued is there's a tandem, and that while Elliott is playing like this, let him keep starting until he has one bad outing, then go right to Halak, who thrives off internal competition. You throw out salaries and past performances with other organizations in other situations, and you focus on the here and now. You focus on what's best for the Blues to win these specific games this specific year and let the future take care of itself.
I've never had the confidence in a Blues goalie that I do in Elliott this season, and that goes back to 1977 or so. I know exactly what Robb is talking about. But I'm confident in Halak too. He's been a difference maker from November on. So it's really a ridiculous situation, an embarrassment of riches. You have the greatest single season from a Blues goalie ever, and the other goaltender has been great too. There really shouldn't have to be tension, but that's how it developed.
I guess I'm one of the few who honestly doesn't favor either goalie over the other. Thus, I find the whole debate humorous. I never became too attached to either goalie that results in a bias. I was stoked when we got Halak, but I also love underdog stories such as Elliott's. But you know what? They both play for the Blues - thus, I like both of them.
Halak is in net? Great, he'll give us a chance to win.
Elliott is in net? Great, he'll give us a chance to win.
I guess I'm one of the few who honestly doesn't favor either goalie over the other. Thus, I find the whole debate humorous. I never became too attached to either goalie that results in a bias. I was stoked when we got Halak, but I also love underdog stories such as Elliott's. But you know what? They both play for the Blues - thus, I like both of them.
Halak is in net? Great, he'll give us a chance to win.
Elliott is in net? Great, he'll give us a chance to win.
I guess I'm one of the few who honestly doesn't favor either goalie over the other. Thus, I find the whole debate humorous. I never became too attached to either goalie that results in a bias. I was stoked when we got Halak, but I also love underdog stories such as Elliott's. But you know what? They both play for the Blues - thus, I like both of them.
Halak is in net? Great, he'll give us a chance to win.
Elliott is in net? Great, he'll give us a chance to win.
Results are all that matter to me, and both goalies produce results. Having both of them push each other has done wonders for both of them and the team. Players and coaches have full confidence in both, and that is all that matters.
I think our building is as loud as any other one in these playoffs, if not louder. We have one of the best home ice advantages. The crowd last night was awesome as usual.
Personally I like the idea of tandems, two goalies that do their share of work. I think it worked well for the Blues this year. But most of the people I know in real life think it is better to have a number 1 and 2 goalie.
Like I said earlier, almost everyone here doesn’t “bash” one goalie to elevate the other. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. That is why I like reading people’s posts here.
But if I go on facebook, or twitter, or some other places, people will have their little
pro-Halak or pro-Elliott wars. I try not to pay attention to them, but it annoys me when people say that the best thing that happened in this series is Halak’s injury. As if, with Halak, the Blues would have for a 100% lost this round. Or if they speculate that Halak’s injury was planned by the rest of the Blues because he made them lose the first game. That is just disrespectful for the rest of the team.
But if I go on facebook, or twitter, or some other places, people will have their little pro-Halak or pro-Elliott wars. I try not to pay attention to them, but it annoys me when people say that the best thing that happened in this series is Halak’s injury. As if, with Halak, the Blues would have for a 100% lost this round. Or if they speculate that Halak’s injury was planned by the rest of the Blues because he made them lose the first game. That is just disrespectful for the rest of the team.
I agree. I don't read those type of things. I think the Blues would have won with either - I would never be happy about ANY BLUE getting injured! shame on those people saying that was the best thing to happen.
The undercurrent of the tension among fans about Halak/Elliott (and, as "controversies" go it's pretty mild) has two main pieces.
The first piece is the attitude by some fans that when we talk about goalies, it's totally cool to praise both as long as we premise our discussion with an acknowledgement that there's a clear 1-2 hierarchy (Halak is the "starter," Elliott is the "backup"). Lots and lots of posts would always throw that jab in there at Elliott, that he was the "backup." The rationale? "He just is." Why "Because he just is."
The second piece was those who didn't like that attitude being woven into post after post after post responding with praise for both goalies but making sure to point out that if we really must get into it, Elliott has been the slightly better goalie. It's a tight contest because Halak has been very strong since he got over his awful October. But even then, Elliott has him just pipped. He's been that incredible every time asked to play.
So now that Elliott is performing in the playoffs the way he's played all year, no difference, a lot of the people who took the position that "cmon, people, let's be real, Halak's the starter and Elliott's the backup" are not winning that argument and are perceiving slights to their guy. The irony is the Elliott folks haven't ever argued "cmon folks, Elliott's the starter, Halak's the backup, let's be real here." All the Elliott folks have argued is there's a tandem, and that while Elliott is playing like this, let him keep starting until he has one bad outing, then go right to Halak, who thrives off internal competition. You throw out salaries and past performances with other organizations in other situations, and you focus on the here and now. You focus on what's best for the Blues to win these specific games this specific year and let the future take care of itself.
I've never had the confidence in a Blues goalie that I do in Elliott this season, and that goes back to 1977 or so. I know exactly what Robb is talking about. But I'm confident in Halak too. He's been a difference maker from November on. So it's really a ridiculous situation, an embarrassment of riches. You have the greatest single season from a Blues goalie ever, and the other goaltender has been great too. There really shouldn't have to be tension, but that's how it developed.
I guess I'm one of the few who honestly doesn't favor either goalie over the other. Thus, I find the whole debate humorous. I never became too attached to either goalie that results in a bias. I was stoked when we got Halak, but I also love underdog stories such as Elliott's. But you know what? They both play for the Blues - thus, I like both of them.
Halak is in net? Great, he'll give us a chance to win.
Elliott is in net? Great, he'll give us a chance to win.
I probably didn't see any of the disrespectful posts, but don't mistake appreciation for Elliott as no love for Halak. I do like them both. But liking one doesn't mean less like for the other. I very much look forward to Halak's return, and I think he'll do great. 
I don't think I favor one over the other though. I love that we have them both and that we have this "problem" of which goalie to use? I think it's great they can rely on each other and help each other when one is down.
shame on those people saying that was the best thing to happen. 
