Jaroslav Halak will not return against Kings

The St. Louis Blues have announced that goalie Jaroslav Halak will miss the remainder of the Blues second round series with the Los Angeles Kings. - Photo courtesy of Getty Images

On a night that saw the Los Angeles Kings score four first period goals and five total in a 5-2 defeat of the St. Louis Blues in game two of the Western Conference semifinals, Blues fans got more bad news regarding Jaroslav Halak.

Perhaps hoping Halak would be able to return to the lineup for game three and provide a spark, the Blues announced via their official Twitter page that Halak will not return for the semifinals against the Kings

Ken Hitchcock has ruled Jaroslav Halak out for the rest of this series vs. LA. #bluesplayoffs
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) May 1, 2012

Elliott, who did not receive much help from a lost, lazy, and unenthusiastic defensive effort from the Blues, played possibly his poorest game of the season, stopping just 16 of the 21 shots he saw.

Halak's absence from the rest of the series leaves the Blues thin between the pipes as rookie Jake Allen, who has not appeared in a NHL game, remains the backup for the rest of the series, which shifts to Los Angeles for game three on Thursday night.