USA TODAY International Edition
Blues’ 49-year Cup Final drought nears end
The last time the Blues were in the Stanley Cup Final, Glenn Hall was one of their goalies. He’s 87 today.
It was 1970. Richard Nixon was president. The Beatles broke up. Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin produced top albums. Gas was 36 cents a gallon. The median house price in the USA was $23,600.
The Blues moved within one win of ending their 49-year Stanley Cup Final drought by defeating the Sharks 5-0 to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference Final.
The Blues’ 11 wins this postseason are the most they have had in a single playoff year. When they advanced to the Final in 1970, they needed only eight wins to get there.
If they win Tuesday at home, the Blues earn a trip to the Stanley Cup Final to play the Bruins. Coincidentally, the Bruins were their opponent the last time they were in the Finals. The Bruins took them down in four straight and Bobby Orr scored the clinching goal, immortalized by the famous photo of him flying Superman-style across the goalmouth.
Jaden Schwartz scored three times for his second hat trick of the postseason to lead the Blues in Game 5.
He is the first NHLer with multiple hat tricks in a postseason since Detroit’s Johan Franzen in 2008.
Vladmir Tarasenko scored on a penalty shot for St. Louis and added two assists.
The Blues dominated the final two periods, posting 36 shots on goal, compared to 10 for the Sharks.
Jordan Binnington made 21 saves to become the first Blues’ rookie goalie to record a shutout.
“He’s a calm guy,” teammate Brayden Schenn said. “He just goes about his business.”
The Blues have made a remarkable about-face this season, and Binnington’s was a key factor.
Sitting last in the NHL on Jan. 2, the Blues looked like they might be headed for a rebuild. Trade rumors swirled around the team. No one seemed safe.
But the team switched coaches from Mike Yeo to Craig Berube in November, and once the team became accustomed to Berube’s ways in January, wins started to come. The Blues were among the NHL’s top teams in the second half of the season.
Binnington was 24-5-1 after he replaced Jake Allen as the team’s starter. He owned a 1.89 goals-against average.
With Berube behind the bench and Binnington in net, the Blues’ confidence grew in the regular season and into the playoffs. Schwartz scored 11 goals in 69 regular-season games and now has 12 in 18 playoff games.
This Blues team has developed an overflowing supply of mental toughness. They are 7-2 on the road in this postseason.
But you will not see overconfidence in this group. The Blues are fully aware the Sharks came back from a 3-1 series deficit to beat the Golden Knights.
One win away is a milestone, not the prize the Blues want.
“We’re close,” Blues forward Patrick Maroon said. “The guys know that. It’s in the back of their heads. But we know that’s a good hockey team over there.”