The defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks were eliminated. Neither team is unfamiliar with Game 7s-the Hawks overcame a 3-3 tie last season before winning the Stanley Cup, and current Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville actually led the Blues through their last Game 7-stint in 2003, when they were eliminated by the Canucks. Any Game 7 between the Blues and the Blackhawks, which have created one of the bigger modern rivalries in the National Hockey League, is and will be intense.
Advertisement
“That’s like mini-golf, you’re trying to put it in there”, coach Ken Hitchcock said. “We have a unique team”. More than one observer noted his impressive performance, while his former team, the Chicago Blackhawks, was badly in need of exactly the kind of help Johns was providing the Stars.
It was the Blackhawks who showed these teams how to be a champion.
“The last three years, we’ve had a lot of success in the playoffs”.
A loss could have been mentally devastating for the Blues and their fan base.
St. Louis Blues’ Colton Parayko, right, is congratulated by teammate Patrik Berglund, of Sweden, after scoring during the first period in Game 7 of an NHL hockey first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Chicago Blackhawks Monday, April 25, 2016, in St. Louis.
The Blackhawks didn’t back down, as Marian Hossa scored before the end of the first period and then a goal by Andrew Shaw in the second period tied the game.
“I just tried to stay with it, knowing the magnitude of the game (and) knowing how everything’s been going”, he said according to the Chicago Tribune. “None of this has been easy, we’ve had some tough lessons the last few years (three first-round exits)”. “I think it got tipped on the way, post-post and then I reached behind me…” We found that in this series. We needed that knowledge.
There was definitely a different feel about this ending. Defensively, the St. Louis Blues are allowing 2.4 goals per game and are killing 85.1 percent of their power play chances. One of the best forwards for the ‘Hawks this series was Richard Panik.
“We became good friends”, Hitchcock said. Bowman likely would have to pair Bickell with one of Chicago’s prospects to pull off such a deal, and the team might be inclined to ride out the last year of the forward’s $16 million, four-year contract instead.
He looked like Ernie Els at Augusta, and had Brouwer not scored, the play would have been logged as a video metaphor for the Blues’ existence. “I want us to use it now”. But for the franchise who’s had a little bit of trouble getting out of that first round it’s a big confidence booster. “When you’re not able to do it, you start doubting yourself and tonight is a huge encouragement”. Brouwer joked after the game in an interview with Darren Pang, “That was nearly really embarrassing”. “He’s been battling all series and did a heck of a job checking their top players”.
“For him to bury that one, good feeling for everyone in here”.
It was Brouwer’s eighth career playoff goal but his first in 24 games dating back to 2013, when he was playing for the Washington Capitals.
The puck came to Pietrangelo, who quickly worked it ahead to Paul Stastny. Paul Stastny fed Fabbri, who dished to Brouwer.
It still took a lot to get the puck in.
Advertisement
Brouwer finally managed to sweep a backhander into the net, setting off an explosion of noise. “That was the ugliest goal I’ve ever scored – and probably the most timely goal I’ve ever scored”, Brouwer said. “When I saw the play developing, I noticed he was alone in front; (I) just wanted to get it to him, knew he’d do the rest”. Absolutely unreal, and the shots just left me reciting Happy Gilmore.
