ST. LOUIS _ For the last column I'll write in 2019, I think back to the first column I wrote in 2019.
The headline referenced a quote from forward Brayden Schenn: "Blues are 'slumping together.' "
What a demoralizing line. Slumping together. As if not just some of the guys were in a slump _ everyone was playing so poorly, the team's mediocrity was unified.
But Schenn also had another quote in that column: "You look at our roster, we should be at the top of the league, not the bottom."
Sure enough, that roster ended that season at the top of the league _ and engraved on the Stanley Cup.
It was the "David Freese Game" of seasons. The coolest thing to happen to St. Louis sports, spread out across six months: Binnington and the winning streak, Gloria and Laila, the Jets and the Sharks, Schwartz's hat trick and the hand-pass response, Parayko's "KO" of Bishop and Maroon's goal past Bishop, Gunnarsson's Game 2 winner and Pietrangelo's Game 7 crusher; no one touching the Campbell Bowl and the whole city touching the Stanley Cup.
"When I'm reading an article and it says 'the Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues,' I'm still a little taken aback," said Tom Stillman, chairman of the Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues. "It still hits me every time ... . And seeing the reaction of Blues fans just shows what kind of emotional bond so many people have with the St. Louis Blues franchise _ and with their own city and community. Because I think it was so intertwined, the feeling of pride with St. Louis, along with the pride in their team."
I was aghast the other day when the New York Times, listing its 12 "Sports Moments 2019," omitted the Blues. That's like naming the top-12 French chicken dishes and omitting cordon bleu.
Even if the 2018-19 Blues had been in first place all year and won the Cup, it still would have been an epic sports story, considering the franchise never had won the Cup _ and hadn't even played in the Final since 1970. Then consider that in January, the Blues has the fewest points in the entire NHL.
They put in their fourth-string goalie, who became the NHL's best goalie. St. Louis won the second round of the playoffs on a double-overtime goal in St. Louis by a native of St. Louis. And the Blues went on to win Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in Boston. Before the Blues, no team from the four major North American sports leagues won a title after occupying last place overall after one-quarter or more of the season's games (since 1967-68).
Eh, maybe they'll crack the Times' list next year.
No, but that's the thing _ maybe they actually will. The Blues enter Tuesday as the top team in the Western Conference and winners of eight straight games. While we mention how amazing the first six months of 2019 were for the Blues, the next six also have been quite a fun ride. The Blues made a trade for three-time All-Star Justin Faulk (and have him for seven seasons), and on Monday, three other Blues were named All-Stars.
Oh, and the team and the city of St. Louis will host All-Star weekend in January. The Blues are persistent and consistent _ 13-4-3 at home, 13-4-3 on the road. The power play has been restored, as has Jake Allen. In 40 games played, David Perron has a team-high 40 points.
"Once you get a taste of winning, it's so addictive," Blues budding star Robert Thomas said. "You get that feeling, you get that sense in the room between guys _ you want to do it again. We had the best couple weeks of our lives after we won, so it's definitely something that motivates you to want to do it again. We obviously lost a couple big parts of our team to injuries, but being motivated (to repeat) kick-started our year."
And in 2019, the Blues opened their sparkling new practice facility, the Centene Community Ice Center. At Monday's practice, there was a standing- room only crowd. Really. It was quite the scene _ the stands were packed with fans, and a horseshoe of fans, a couple people deep, stood around one end of the rink. A line snaked at the door. It was easier to get the interview on the phone with Stillman than it was to get one with the security guard at the metal detector.
Finally, there was a quick break in the fan flow.
"I'm definitely surprised by this being just a practice and seeing hundreds of fans come through and to be some pumped and so excited," security guard Aurdie Murphy said. "It tells you about the love that people have for the team here. And the city."
And Stillman epitomizes all of it _ a hockey fan who became an owner and the team's chairman. On Christmas morning, he unwrapped a gift from his wife. It was a personalized photo album of the family's Cup run memories.
Stillman's cup runneth over with Cup memories. The parade and the parties, the White House and his own house.
"Right after it was engraved, the Keepers of the Cup brought it over to the house at about 9 p.m.," Stillman shared Monday. "They carried it through the front door. Put it on top of a chest on the front hall, and there it was. That was one of the most striking occurrences of the whole thing _ to see this entire group engraved on the Stanley Cup forever."
From "slumping together" to "the Stanley Cup forever."
What a year.
