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It's unclear if Elliott will get the nod against his former
teammates after he fell to 0-3-0 with an unsightly 4.72
goals-against average following Thursday's 4-2 home loss to
Carolina. “It’s not a whole-game issue — it’s just slight
breakdowns here and there,” Elliott told reporters. “And it
starts with me. I have to make a save here and there, too, to
keep us in it." St. Louis won its first three games before
dropping the first two legs of its three-game trek through
Western Canada, scoring one goal apiece in losses to Vancouver
and Edmonton. The Blues had won six straight meetings with the
Flames before dropping a 7-4 decision in Calgary on March 14.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), Sportsnet (Calgary)
ABOUT THE BLUES (3-1-1): Jake Allen had supplanted Elliott as
the No. 1 netminder last season until an injury opened the door
for the latter to carry St. Louis to the Western Conference
final. Allen, who is 2-0-0 lifetime versus Calgary, is off to a
strong start with two goals allowed in each of his four outings.
"We've really wasted some great goaltending displays by Jake,"
coach Ken Hitchcock told reporters. "He's been outstanding and
given us a chance to win both of these last two games."
ABOUT THE FLAMES (1-3-1): While Elliott has struggled, Calgary's
power play has been a disaster. The Flames' lone goal with the
man advantage came in the season opener and they are 0-for-19
since, including failing on six chances in each of the last two
games. “I think our confidence is lost, maybe, on our power
play, and that’s what we have to get back," coach Glen Gulutzan
told reporters. "To me, that’s the focal point — getting a bit
of mojo on that and getting some run support for our goalie.”
OVERTIME
1. Flames F Troy Brouwer, who spent last season with St. Louis,
scored his third goal on Thursday.
2. Blues F Vladimir Tarasenko has recorded four goals and 10
points in 11 games versus Calgary.
3. Flames F Johnny Gaudreau scored his first goal Thursday but
has not tallied in six games against the Blues.
PREDICTION: Blues 4, Flames 2
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