52 Years In The Making?

It's hard to believe that the St. Louis Blues have never won a Stanley Cup. Nine division titles, a President's Trophy (1999-2000), a 25-season playoff streak, and successful players like Brett Hull and Al MacInnis have accounted for absolutely nothing.

In fact, this is St. Louis's first conference championship in franchise history and their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance since 1970, when Bobby Orr famously took flight en route to a Bruins sweep. This franchise almost relocated to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in the 1980s. The Blues just got their first win in a Stanley Cup Final this year and lead Boston, 3-2, in the Stanley Cup Finals.

A big part of St. Louis's success this season has been from their superstar Vladimir Tarasenko. The Russian has 11 goals this postseason and has been a key component for the Blues offensively. Jaden Schwartz (12 goals), Ryan O'Reilly (14 assists), and Alex Pietrangelo (14 assists) have also given the Blues a boost. In fact, Schwartz, Tarasenko, and O'Reilly have combined for eight penalty minutes this postseason, displaying leadership and poise when the lights are at their brightest.

This season's Blues team has also been a bit of an interesting story. Interim head coach Craig Berube replaced Mike Yeo on November 19, 2018 and the Blues were in last place after January 1st. St. Louis was only the seventh team since the 1967-1968 season to make the playoffs after being last on January 1st.

Blues fans sing "Gloria" after every Blues victory and the season has been a wild ride for St. Louis. This was a team that wasn't supposed to be in the postseason this year, especially when the new year came around. If the Blues get a victory in their next two games, the celebration will be filled with 52 years of agony lifted... and plenty of "Gloria".