St. Louis Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock is giving the veteran a chance to pick up the ball and run with it.

Or, in hockey terms, Brian Elliott will start Tuesday's game in San Jose after posting a shutout in Vancouver in his return from an almost month-long absence due to injury.

If he's able to make good on that opportunity, he could very well assert himself as the Blues' starting goalie down the stretch and into the playoffs.

Elliott's return comes on the heels of two rough outings for Jake Allen, who allowed nine goals on 43 shots in starts against Edmonton and Calgary. And while the 25-year-old has shown flashes of dominance at time this season, the elder Elliott has posted the better numbers, albeit in fewer outings.

Heading into the season, it was expected that Hitchcock would deploy Elliott and Allen in a 1A-1B starting situation, and both have been called upon to step up over long stretches while the other was injured.

With nine games remaining on the schedule, the Blues are sandwiched between Dallas and Chicago in the Central Division standings, with two points separating St. Louis from both each way. Finishing first would ensure an opening round series against a wild card opponent, giving the Blues the impetus to finish as strong as possible.

For the time being, it's Elliott's crease to lose, but don't write that in anything but pencil quite yet.

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