ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - The stage was set for a spectacle. A climactic Game 7. A conflict of Central Division rivals. And two hometown kids—Oakville’s Pat Maroon and Chaminade’s Ben Bishop—who would emerge as the triumphant protagonist and extinguished antagonist of the play, respectively.
With a trip to the Western Conference Final on the line, the St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars battled with heart-stopping stinginess and classic Aristotelian drama, right down to the score—and, no, not the 2-1 double-overtime final, but the disco-pop soundtrack that has both vandalized the eardrums and buoyed the hearts of this city.
Last night was indeed a spectacle, one we will talk about for weeks and months and years to come. It will weave its way so inextricably into the fabric of Blues lore that it, like the Monday Night Miracle, will become part of the franchise’s very selfhood. The rookie goaltender. (Does he look nervous?) The “interim” head coach. (Ha!) The Blues’ 54 (54!) shots on goal. The close calls. The big hits. And, of course, the providential convergence of the “sevens”:
And soon enough, Pat Maroon stood next to Ben Bishop.
And hockey in St. Louis grew.
In 1988, the team took at chance on a kid from the Calgary Flames, a kid who would become the face of the franchise, the Golden Brett, and one of the greatest goal-scoring spectacles in NHL history.
And hockey in St. Louis grew.
There was Al MacInnis and his lethal slapshot. Fans held their breath and goalies trembled every time Chopper wound up for a shot, a regular spectacle from the blue line.
And hockey in St. Louis grew.
With every spectacle, the fields expanded, and with every year, the Blues franchise and concentrated core of alumni—arguably the best in the National Hockey League—tended to the harvest.
There were 12 American-born players selected in the first round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Five of them were from St. Louis. The hockey world praised the city as a hotbed of young talent.
And hockey in St. Louis grew.
The spectacle of the 2017 NHL Winter Classic gripped St. Louis, as will the 2020 NHL All-Star Game, which will bring not only the league’s most spectacular stars to the Enterprise Center, but new eyes to the sport and—no doubt—young athletes to local rinks. Either way—whether you grow the players or the audience—you are growing. In this way, spectacles are a high yield return.
Last night, indeed, was a spectacle. It was written in St. Louis and in many ways by St. Louis. And no matter what happens with this 2018-19 team—a spectacle in and of itself—hockey fans in St. Louis will always remember that goal in double overtime. The rookie goaltender. The “interim” coach. Hometown kid versus hometown kid.
On that Tuesday night in St. Louis (sing Gloria!), hockey in St. Louis grew.