Might Need A New One

I have a deep respect for the goalie mask. It's literally the only thing standing between a goalie's head and a rubber bullet. I also appreciate the vast artwork that goes onto the masks across the hockey spectrum, and there's no shortage of masks that should be in art galleries. Combining these two factors make the goalie mask one of the most impressive pieces of equipment in any sport, and they are extremely hard to miss. Unless you're Brian Elliott's mask which no longer looks like a mask as seen above. It appears to have been crushed! How? That's a mystery that still has yet to be be solved, it seems.

That's the final result after Elloitt's mask was crushed at some point between Thursday evening and tonight. These images came from Elliott's Twitter feed, but there was very little information given out as to exactly what happened to his mask. An Alex Pietrangelo slapshot? Run over by David Backes in practice? No, it appears something bigger did this.

My guess? I think the mask accidentally ended up underneath the Blues' equipment truck and it was mistakenly run over. While these masks are designed to help protect the noggin when facing 100mph slapshots, I'm not certain they can withstand the weight of a cube truck rolling over it. I had hoped Elliott has been in some sort of high-speed chase with hostages that he saved by using his mask to thwart the kidnappers by tossing it under the getaway vehicle. Alas, that appears not to be the case. Needless to say, Brian Elloitt will have to use an old mask now or get himself a new one quickly.

Forgetting protecting the head. Someone needs to protect the mask!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!