OT: Jaroslav Halak

[IsDurbanodoingtime]

was so excited when they got him

turned out, he's just a European Jake Allen

disapointing

Far from it.

Allen freaked out in big games. Halak didn't.

Bad luck more than anything - especially when he was injured in the first round a few years back. That was a very good team.

The Ryan Miller deal was orchestrated by Stillman, by the way. It's hard to go from seeing a ton of shots to few. It is an adjustment.

Yeah I'll always wonder how that year could have gone if we had kept Halak and given him the reigns in the postseason. He was solid in big games a number of times throughout his career. Miller might have made sense if he had the full season to get accustomed to the Blues. But he was a mess for us that postseason.

Halak just no longer had the confidence of the locker room or management.

I think some folks underestimate that lockerroom piece - for whatever reason, Backes especially wanted Miller, and the Blues had to at least try to make the captain happy.

I agree Halak got a raw deal, but I wonder if he brought some of it on himself by not being more of a better teammate.

I may be confusing him with someone else, but weren't there rumors of him being a bit hesitant to adapt his stance the way coaches wanted (holding his glove too low)? Was he too aloof in team meetings?

Sorry [fork] David Backes. Signed an offer sheet to leverage the Blues and then showed nothing as a captain. Then left feeling slighted as a fa. His donning a uniform from his scratched suit pretending he was somehow relevant in the handshake line is forever defining in my book. He made such a play for his usa teammate shivving Halak and then like Miller was awol in that series with Chicago. In typical fashion. Part of the reason we won a cup was jettisoning him. Sorry for the rant.

[blues2112]

Jake the Snake lived up to all of his nicknames. You could predict every one of his starts. Jake the Snake against random joe schmo team that wasn't playoff worthy. Shakey Jakey when there was a meaningful game and it was tied up or we were 1 up in the 3rd. You always knew some loose change was going 5 hole where it looked like he thought he made the save and the puck just kept on going.

That being said, I'd take Jake as a backup on about 30-32 rosters. He seems to thrive there. And he was good for the Blues locker room when a lot of starters would have caused a huge fuss. Halak had some magic, and then faded to the league median it seemed.

Yes!

And short side between arm and post.

[netboy65]

Halak was talented, but the team always seemed to play better in front of Elliot

[bluetunehead]

was so excited when they got him

turned out, he's just a European Jake Allen

disapointing

Far from it.

Allen freaked out in big games. Halak didn't.

Bad luck more than anything - especially when he was injured in the first round a few years back. That was a very good team.

The Ryan Miller deal was orchestrated by Stillman, by the way. It's hard to go from seeing a ton of shots to few. It is an adjustment.

Yeah I'll always wonder how that year could have gone if we had kept Halak and given him the reigns in the postseason. He was solid in big games a number of times throughout his career. Miller might have made sense if he had the full season to get accustomed to the Blues. But he was a mess for us that postseason.

Halak just no longer had the confidence of the locker room or management.

I think some folks underestimate that lockerroom piece - for whatever reason, Backes especially wanted Miller, and the Blues had to at least try to make the captain happy.

I agree Halak got a raw deal, but I wonder if he brought some of it on himself by not being more of a better teammate.

I may be confusing him with someone else, but weren't there rumors of him being a bit hesitant to adapt his stance the way coaches wanted (holding his glove too low)? Was he too aloof in team meetings?

Sorry [fork] David Backes. Signed an offer sheet to leverage the Blues and then showed nothing as a captain. Then left feeling slighted as a fa. His donning a uniform from his scratched suit pretending he was somehow relevant in the handshake line is forever defining in my book. He made such a play for his usa teammate shivving Halak and then like Miller was awol in that series with Chicago. In typical fashion. Part of the reason we won a cup was jettisoning him. Sorry for the rant.

There is zero issue with Backes signing an offer sheet. He'd have been stupid not to do it.

[larueskee]

Hated him and thought he was over rated for a couple of series with Montreal. When I saw his picture I was sure he was a vampire and sure enough he was from Bratislava, SVK.

[Army's Mom]

was so excited when they got him

turned out, he's just a European Jake Allen

disapointing

Far from it.

Allen freaked out in big games. Halak didn't.

Bad luck more than anything - especially when he was injured in the first round a few years back. That was a very good team.

The Ryan Miller deal was orchestrated by Stillman, by the way. It's hard to go from seeing a ton of shots to few. It is an adjustment.

Yeah I'll always wonder how that year could have gone if we had kept Halak and given him the reigns in the postseason. He was solid in big games a number of times throughout his career. Miller might have made sense if he had the full season to get accustomed to the Blues. But he was a mess for us that postseason.

Halak just no longer had the confidence of the locker room or management.

I think some folks underestimate that lockerroom piece - for whatever reason, Backes especially wanted Miller, and the Blues had to at least try to make the captain happy.

I agree Halak got a raw deal, but I wonder if he brought some of it on himself by not being more of a better teammate.

I may be confusing him with someone else, but weren't there rumors of him being a bit hesitant to adapt his stance the way coaches wanted (holding his glove too low)? Was he too aloof in team meetings?

Sorry [fork] David Backes. Signed an offer sheet to leverage the Blues and then showed nothing as a captain. Then left feeling slighted as a fa. His donning a uniform from his scratched suit pretending he was somehow relevant in the handshake line is forever defining in my book. He made such a play for his usa teammate shivving Halak and then like Miller was awol in that series with Chicago. In typical fashion. Part of the reason we won a cup was jettisoning him. Sorry for the rant.

I don't disagree. I think Backes took that Team USA thing a bit too far... But, he got his third year from BOS, and hung around just long enough to be absolutely worthless for them in the Finals against us. So... hooray!