Stick tap, St. Louis Blues.
The Blues won Game 7 and eliminated the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round for the first time since the Phoenix Coyotes defeated the Hawks in 2012
Chicago is the first defending Stanley Cup champion to get bounced in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs since the Boston Bruins in 2012.
The Game 7 hero was Troy Brouwer, a former Blackhawks Stanley Cup winner, buried the Chelsea Dagger through the proverbial heart of his former teammates when he scored the series winning goal at the 8:31 juncture of the third period.
Who better than a former seventh round draft choice, grizzly NHL vet with 85 NHL playoff games on his dance card to be the hero?
Brouwer, no stranger to Game 7 danger, had lost his seven previous attempts. Last spring, Brouwer's Washington Capitals went from holding a commanding 3-1 series lead in their second-round battle before collapsing in three straight to the New York Rangers.
Brouwer vowed the to never let his team collapse like the Caps did ever again.
The Blues will face the Dallas Stars in round two.
In the NHL, as in life, one must lose before one can win. Brouwer proved Monday night that the dirty areas are where the heroic, historic moments are born. Not on the flanks or at the points. The heroes are immortalized in the blue ice.
Blues captain David Backes told the team's website that the troops rallied around Brouwer and for obvious reasons. Leaders lead.
"Vindication, Troy Brouwer," Backes said. "Getting the game-winner there, battling in front. I think he might have blown that in with his breath if he didn't get it with his backhand there. He's been battling all series, done a heck of a job checking their top players.
"For him to bury that one, good feeling for everyone in here. We couldn't be happier for him."
***
Ken Hitchcock's coaching job was in serious jeopardy. A first round loss to the Blackhawks likely would have earned Hitch a pink slip.
Trusting his vets to carry the leadership mantle proved to be beneficial to the Blues. Pros like Troy Brouwer, Steve Ott, David Backes, Paul Stastny, Alex Steen, Jay Bouwmeester and Alex Pietrangelo kept tight reins on Vladimir Tarasenko, Patrick Berglund, Colton Parayko, Jaden Schwartz, Robby Fabbri, Jere Lehtera and the other Blues youngsters.
Hitch handed out ice time with an iron fist.
Average TOI Per Game:
Pietrangelo 30:33
Bouwmeester 25:52
Shattenkirk 22:51
Stastny 21:41
Steen 21:16
Parayko 20:44
Brouwer 29:27
Backes 19:57
Schwartz 17:44
Gunnarsson 17:02
Tarasenko 17:02
Lehtera 16:17
Fabbri 15:33
Berglund 14:50
The TOI for Tarasenko was a real concern in round one. Count me among the multitude of critics who harper on Hitch's use of Tarasenko in round one. Vladimir The Impaler was a frequent flyer on the bech at key moments inside the seven games. Was he injured? Did Hitch lose his trust in Tarasenko? Remember when Vladimir was seen on camera yelling at Hitcock while on the bench durung a power play at the end of the second period in Game 5? Was Tarasenko benched for that critical man advantage or did Hitch have a brain fart and forget to play #91 for that sequence?
Only Hitch and Vladimir know the truth and neither is talking right now. All that matters is slaying the menacing dragon from Chicago.
When they found themselves in times of trouble, Hitch turned to his leaders to right the ship and to drown out the feelings of doom and gloom.
**
Join the Discussion:
»