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Either Ken Hitchcock doesn't respect the Detroit Red Wings or Jaroslav Halak is now the starting goaltender for your St. Louis Blues.
It came out on Twitter through various media sources that Halak will get the start tonight. He of the seven game winning streak (and 10-game unbeaten in regulation streak if you want to get really optimistic about it) gets the start tonight in the Motor City after Brian Elliott saw the Red Wings the last two times the Blues have faced them. We've been pretty adamant that the All-Star goaltender on the team was the No. 1 goaltender on the team (Average Joe note: The opinions of Mr. Lee are his own and do not represent the rest of the Game Time staff, namely me). Elliott was definitely facing the tougher tests and Halak was getting the teams sitting outside the playoff race.
Maybe Hitchcock (some call him THE Cock) is riding the hot hand. Maybe Halak has earned back his spot atop the depth chart. Maybe he thinks the Wings are beneath an All-Star goaltender. Any of these possibilities are reasonable.
The Blues and Wings have split the first four games this season 2-2 with the home team winning each game. The Wings will have Henrik Zetterberg after Brendan Shanahan looked out for his old franchise and didn't give him a suspension for boarding Nikita Nikitin. Zetterberg got a five minute major and a misconduct. You do that to the Wings (Chris Stewart, we're looking at you), and you sit for three games for free. Zetterberg ...well you get to keep playing, sir. We won't even have a hearing for you. Typical Detroit officiating.
It would be nice if the Blues could show the Wings that they can win a game in Detroit, especially with both teams vying for the Central Division lead. But if the Blues lose, it won't matter. It's obvious that when the Blues face the Wings in the playoffs this spring, four of the games will be played in St. Louis and only three will occur in the wasteland of Detroit. Short series are for people with heart problems. I like a good seven-game thriller. And mark my words, that seventh game will be in St. Louis.
We have a saying around here. It's kind of how we approach life. When Karma gives you lemons, we say Fuck Detroit. Call us bitter. Call us unoriginal. Call us juvenile. Just don't ignore our hockey team because it's for real and it's coming to kick your ass.