In a back and forth series between the St. Louis Blues and the Dallas Stars, it wouldn’t have been that far of a stretch to predict that game seven between these two teams could have gone to overtime to decide who would advance to the Western Conference Finals. It didn’t. The Blues decimated Dallas 6-1.
St. Louis, which has never won a Stanley Cup Championship and has not been in the conference finals since 2001 -- when they lost to the Colorado Avalanche, the eventual Stanley Cup winners -- will get another shot this year. The past few years, the Blues have been knocked out in the first round, despite having a good team and solid goaltending. This year, they have delivered, beating the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Chicago Blackhawks, and now defeating the offensive juggernaut Dallas Stars.
“It's taken a lot of hard work from these guys,” Blues Captain, Backes said. “It's taken a group that has really bound together when we've had our back against the walls in a couple game sevens and played our best hockey when we really needed it.”
The Blues wasted little time in the game when just 5:23 into the game Robby Fabbri opened up the scoring knocking in a loose puck in the crease by Kari Lethonen. Tarensenko would score next for the Blues, but the goal would be challenged by Dallas Coach Lindy Ruff and was deemed to be off sides. The Blues forgot about the no goal call quickly and scored two more before the end of the first period.
Statsny, with 1:38 left in the first, was able to lift the puck over Lethonen’s shoulder by the side of the net to make it 2-0 St. Louis. Shortly after, with a mere 3.8 seconds left on the clock, a blue line wrist shot off the stick of Patrick Berglund found its way through a screen and past Lethonen.
Early in the second period, Blues goaltender Brian Elliot made possibly the save of the series and kept momentum in St. Louis’ favor when he stuck out his right pad in desperation and stopped a point blank shot from Seeviour.
The Blues onslaught continued. At 3:50 of the second, Blues captain David Backes came rushing down the right wing and fired a bullet to the far side past goaltender Annti Niemi, who replaced Lethonen at the start of the second. Troy Brouwer would score next for the Blues, to make it 5-0. Shortly after, Patrick Eaves would get Dallas on the board when a redirected shot found its way onto his stick and he easily shot it into the wide open net. Tarensenko, who had his goal disallowed in the first, scored the empty netter for the Blues to seal the victory.
“I think we've really risen, we've really come together as a team,” said Brouwer. “We've really wanted this from Day One. We're putting ourselves in a good situation to continue going forward. But we're only halfway there.”
The Blues will wait to see who wins between the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators who will also play a game seven. The Blues know that they are only halfway to their ultimate goal but are happy to be were they are in the conference finals. “It’s been on the goal sheet every single year,” said Backes.
