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5 Great Things About the St. Louis Blues’ Victory in the Winter Classic

By Patrick Karraker

Jan 2, 2017; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues players celebrate with goalie Jake Allen (34) after defeating the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2016 Winter Classic ice hockey game at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 2, 2017; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues players celebrate with goalie Jake Allen (34) after defeating the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2016 Winter Classic ice hockey game at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jake Allen St. Louis Blues
Jan 2, 2017; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues goalie Jake Allen (34) covers the puck against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period in the 2016 Winter Classic ice hockey game at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Jake Allen’s Great Day

It’s no secret that Jake Allen has had a rough go of it lately. The 26-year-old has struggled to maintain consistency during his first season as a full-time starter, and he had an especially rough December, going 5-6 with a 3.14 goals-against average and .892 save percentage. With as disturbing as some of his failures had been over the past month, there were definitely some whispers about whether the Blues’ decision to give Allen a four-year, $17.4 million-dollar contract extension this past offseason was a colossal mistake.

Those whispers were quieted for at least a few days on Monday, though, as Allen had one of his best games of the season. While most outdoor games either give goalies major fits or allow them to get off easy because of a lack of offensive activity, Allen actually performed well while facing a decent amount of shots from the Blackhawks. He saved 22 of the 23 shots he faced, making some impressive grabs.

Allen’s speciality has always been making acrobatic stops, and he showed that again on Monday. While facing an Artem Anisimov rebound after stopping a Jonathan Toews shot, Allen stretched back and grabbed the puck out of the air with his glove. In a game where the Blues were playing at Busch Stadium, Allen’s save evoked memories of an Ozzie Smith or Jim Edmonds catch:

Allen earned the second star for his second performance. After that positive performance, it will be interesting to see if Allen continues a trend and performs well in January. It’s been one of his best months over the course of his career, as he’s 3-1-1 with a 2.39 GAA and a .907 save percentage.

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