The St. Louis Blues had some of the best goaltending in the NHL last season, as Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott combined to allow just 165 goals against, the fewest since the 04-05 NHL lockout. This season, however, things have been different. The Blues have had some of the worst netminding in the league, and they've struggled as a result.

On Friday night, however, they finally got some spectacular goaltending again -- not from Elliott or Halak, mind you, but from rookie backstop Jake Allen, who contributed this save of the year candidate in just his second NHL start:

Lovely passing play from the Flames after the lucky break at the Blues' blueline. This one was going to be highlight reel either way.

Unfortunately, Allan steals the spotlight with that ridiculous stick save. Maybe that's lucky too -- in which case, this whole sequence sort of cancels itself out -- but the casual, smooth way that he snags the puck out of mid-air after the save is textbook selling it.

Veteran play there. Act like you've been there before.

You've got to feel for T.J. Brodie, who had the entire net to shoot at, and somehow managed to miss out on his third career NHL goal nonetheless. I guess he can take solace in the fact that, at the end of the year, when he sees this save in the top plays of the season, he can say he saw it live.

Follow Harrison Mooney on Twitter at @HarrisonMooney

