Different goalie, same result: Ty Conklin backstops St. Louis Blues to victory
The St. Louis Blues proved that they don't rely solely on the heroics of their starting goaltender Jaroslav Halak, as Ty Conklin helped lead the Blues to a 2-0 shutout victory over the New York Rangers
on Sunday, 7 November.
How it happened
The St. Louis Blues got all the goals they would need just over five minutes into the second period when Brad Boyes led the team on a 3-on-2 into the Rangers zone. Boyes gave a nifty little pass to his
left over to Alexander Steen who whipped a hard wrist shot past Martin Biron in the Rangers' net.
Conklin would face his toughest test in the third period when the Rangers had a five-minute power play after B.J. Crombeen got a major penalty for boarding when he hit Derek Stepan. The Blues held on though,
and then were able to rest their troops a bit when the Rangers took a penalty just a minute after the Crombeen penalty ended.
Steen would get his second of the night on an empty net with only three seconds remaining as Conklin was perfect on the day stopping all 27 shots that he faced.
What they're saying
Although Halak had been excellent for the Blues so far this season, earning three shutouts from his last five starts, head coach Davis Payne felt it was time to give his starter some rest and was delighted
to get a similarly dominant performance from his backup.
"It's something Conks has done for quite some time," Payne said. "He's shown this unbelievable ability to step in and when called upon at a moment's notice and give you a performance like that.
"Our goaltenders have bailed us out in real key situations, allowed us to play with a one-goal lead, and allowed us to either build upon it or solidify a victory. As much as it is a team performance, what
they're bringing to the table is not going unnoticed."
The Blues got a typically strong defensive performance despite the absence of several key defenceman.
"We're feeling good about ourselves and we're doing it through adversity with the injuries we've had," Conklin said. "What are we, 12 games into the season? We're not setting any benchmarks. But it's a
good start, though."
The Blues have now won seven in a row, giving up just six goals during that span, and find themselves tied for top spot in the Western Conference with the Los Angeles Kings but with a game in hand. The
shutout was St. Louis' first against the Rangers in 129 meetings since joining the NHL in 1967. They get set to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday, 10 November.
The Rangers now get set to take on Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night in New York.
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