Are the Voices in Your Head Still Calling, Gloria?
Are the voices in your head still calling, Gloria?
Who could
have imagined back in 2018 that Gloria would become a song filled with so much
meaning for Blues fans just a few months later?
In 2019,
the Blues made it to their fourth Stanley Cup Final. Their previous three
appearances were during their first three years in the NHL where they were swept
each time, by Montreal in 1968 and 1969, and by Boston in 1970. Though, the
Blues are partly to thank for the iconic Bobby Orr photo after he scored Boston’s
game-winning goal in 1970, as Blues defenceman Noel Picard tripped up Orr to
give the impression that he was flying through the air.
In 2019, the
Blues next chance at the Cup was against the team who had beaten them on their
last attempt 49 years earlier.
Today marks
one year since the St Louis Blues lifted the Stanley Cup in Game 7 of that
Stanley Cup Final vs Boston.
How We Got
to Game 7
Game 1: The
4-2 loss meant that the Blues still remained winless in all-time Stanley Cup
Final appearances. Although Schenn and Tarasenko got the Blues off to a 2-0
lead, they would have to wait for their first win of the series as Boston took
a 1-0 series lead.
Game 2:
This 3-2 OT victory was the first the Blues would win as a franchise in the
Stanley Cup Final. This time it would be Boston who would open the scoring at
TD Garden but the Blues twice evened up the scoring in a 2-2 first period
through Bortuzzo and Tarasenko. Neither team would find the back of the net
until Gunnarsson in overtime. Gunnarsson may have hit the post in the third
period but said he needed another chance and this time made no mistake as he
ended the Blues winless drought in the Stanley Cup Final. Series tied 1-1.
Game 3: The
Stanley Cup Final returned to St Louis for the first time in 49 years. Despite
goals from Barbashev and Parayko, who each time brought the game to within 3
goals, the Bruins took a 7-2 win and a 2-1 series lead.
Game 4:
This time it was the Blues who came away with a 4-2 win in front of their home
crowd, their first home win in a Stanley Cup Final. O’Reilly (2), Tarasenko and
Schenn got the goals and Captain Alex Pietrangelo added 2 assists. Series tied
2-2.
Game 5:
This was the Blues first lead in the series. The Blues were outshot almost 2:1
but came away with a 2-1 win and the chance to win at home in Game 6.
Binnington made 38 saves and O’Reilly and Perron tallied a goal each.
Game 6:
This was the Blues chance to win on home ice but unfortunately they fell to a
5-1 loss, setting the series up for a Game 7.
Game 7:
Winner Takes It All
This game
was a big deal. The series was now down to a best-of-one. Very exciting, but
also very nerve-wrecking for many! Here are some of the moments that stick out
for me in this game.
Game-Winning
Goal
The Blues already
had a 1-0 lead thanks to Ryan O’Reilly who had extended his goal steak to four
games after deflecting a Bouwmeester shot through the legs of Rask with just
over 3 minutes remaining in the first. Then, into the dying seconds of the
period, Schwartz carried the puck out of the Blues zone and through the neutral
zone and threw it ahead for himself. He sidestepped a Bruin, gathered the puck
and dropped it back to the captain Alex Pietrangelo who was all alone.
Pietrangelo skated towards the net and threw the puck backhand behind Rask for
a 2-0 lead and the STANLEY-CUP-WINNING GOAL. The first Blues player to lift the
Stanley Cup would also turn out to be the first Blues player to score the Stanley-Cup-winning
goal. The Blues had a 2-0 lead going into the first intermission.
THE Save
The
incredible skill shown by Jordan Binnington throughout the playoffs had a lot
to do with the Blues’ success. However, this save vs Nordstrom was arguably his
most brilliant.
One of the
stories of the playoffs was Binnington’s ability rebound after a loss. He
certainly did in this game, making potentially THE save of the series in a
spectacular performance in TD Garden.
From an
earlier post where I did a feature on Jordan Binnington, I mentioned that this
save was one of my favourite Binnington moments. When the Blues were 2-0 up
with just over half of the third remaining, he made an incredible right pad
save on Nordstrom’s rebound attempt. It’s definitely worth watching, again and
again! Had Boston got this one in, things would have been a lot more
nerve-wrecking for Blues fans.
Sanford
Makes it Four
This is
where I started to get emotional. We were so close to the dream. Earlier in the
period, Tarasenko had thrown the puck in front of the net for a Schenn
one-timer to give the Blues a 3-0 lead. However, with just over 4 minutes
remaining, you could almost say it was within reach as Sanford made it 4-0.
Perron skated out of the corner and passed the puck across to Sanford. The puck
sailed through the crease between Rask and a Boston skater but Sanford was at
the left side of the net to tap it in for the goal.
The End
4-1. The
seconds ticked down. So I was pretty emotional. One of the most beautiful
scenes in hockey is seeing the bench clear and gloves and sticks flying up in
the air and falling towards the ice where they would lie as the team gathers.
The Blues certainly did not disappoint and all rushed over to Binnington to
celebrate. It was just such an incredible moment. The team who had the worst
record in the league on January 3rd were now the winners of the
Stanley Cup. After 52 years.
So, to
summarise the game...the Blues took a 2-0 lead in the dying seconds of the
first period, Jordan Binnington made a world-class stop, and, in the closing
minutes of the game, the Blues extended their lead to four. Although Boston
pulled one back, the victory belonged to St Louis and the Blues skated out of
TD Garden that night at the right end of a 4-1 scoreline and as Stanley Cup
Champions.
MVP-
O’Reilly
The 2019
Selke Trophy winner was one of the standout players in the 2018/19 campaign. He
led the NHL in face-off wins in 2017/18 and 2018/19, and in 2018/19 posted a
career-high 77 points. His nine points in the SCF and franchise-record 23
postseason points (which tied him with Boston’s Marchand for most in the 2019
playoffs) helped him deservedly earn the Conn Smythe trophy. He had 13 of 18
first-place votes and his incredible four-game goal streak in the last four
games of the SCF made him the first player since Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton, 1985)
to have a four-game goal streak in the Final. His goal in Game 7 gave the Blues
a 1-0 lead.
The Blues
not only overcame adversity in the regular season but also in the playoffs,
such as the 7-2 loss to Boston in Game 3 of the SCF and the Game 6 loss at home
which left the series tied 3-3.
The Blues
overcame hurdle after hurdle that year. They didn’t give up and, most
importantly, at the end of it all,…
became
Stanley Cup Champions on 12th June 2019.
#LetsGoBlues
😊
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