Little did the Blues brass know, was that Halak would become a fan favorite.
Halak had virtually a cult-like following in Montreal. He has since been forgotten as Carey Price has played so well.
But evidently enough fans in St. Louis felt so much of their new goaltender that Halak finished first among Western Conference goalies in fan voting.
Under the traditional rules, Halak would be the starting goaltender in the 2011 all-star game.
This year though, in order to draw more attention to the sport, the NHL changed the rules to where captains can pick their own rosters in order to compete in the contest.
Still, even though Halak was not selected by his peers, his contribution to the Blues is being recognized by a fan base that has wanted a goalie to love for year.
Halak leads in votes despite his numbers not being so great, proof that the fans love him. Halak ranks just 7th in goals against average (2.54), 12th in save percentage (.910), and 8th in wins (16) among Western Conference goal tenders.
But his ability for the spectacular is what resonates with fans. Halak is tied for first in shutouts with 4 as the young goalie has shown the ability to be absolutely dominant on any given night.
For the Blues to make a serious playoff push, Halak will need to play better in the second half of the season.
Blues fans love him just the way he is.
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