The St. Louis Blues could have a goaltender controversy brewing with Jake Allen being activated from injured reserve.
According to ESPN, Allen was activated from the IR list after missing 17 games for the team, but the play of Brian Elliott could keep him from getting back on the ice right away. Allen has been out with a lower-body injury, but the Blues have not been worse for the wear with him off the ice. The team has won 12 of the 17 games that Allen has missed, while Elliott has been playing at an All-Star level in his absence.
Elliott is 17-7-6 this season with a 2.06 GAA average, and he has won five straight starts, according to NHL.com stats. Allen had been playing well before his injury, going 18-10-3 with a 2.17 goals-against average. Allen also has five shutouts this season. The Blues will have to make a decision about who will be the main goalie moving forward now that Allen has returned.
According to KMOV in St. Louis, head coach Ken Hitchcock said last week that he is "not talking about the goalies." Elliott has started all 17 games that Allen has missed, and that has helped put the team in strong position for the playoffs. The Blues are third in the Central Division, trailing the Dallas Stars by one point, and the Blackhawks by two points.
The Blues suffered another injury just as Elliott came off the list, as forward Alexander Steen is dealing with an upper-body injury, according to ESPN. The report says that the forward will miss at least a month with the injury, and that he was placed on the injured list. The team announced that Steen will be "re-evaluated" in four weeks to see how he is recovering from the injury.
Steen was injured on Saturday night against the Arizona Coyotes, leaving the game in the first period. According to ESPN, Steen was hit by defenseman Kevin Connauton and could not continue in the game. Steen has been one of the most productive players on the team this season, putting up 47 points, including 17 goals and 30 assists.