ST. LOUIS — These are the games Chicago always wins. That’s why they’re the master in this relationship, and the St. Louis Blues have always been the little brother.
But remember one thing: the worm always turns, eventually. They used to say the same thing about the Cubs and the Cardinals — until the Cubbies blasted St. Louis out of the Major League Baseball playoffs last spring.
So we’re not saying it HAS happened, only that the relationship between these Central Division foes can change. Or that, eventually, it will.
So, as Game 1 identified itself as a blood ‘n’ guts, scoreless tong war, seemingly destined for overtime since early in the second period, it also became obvious that a game like this had to be won by St. Louis. Because if this relationship is ever going to change, it’s games like this one — a 1-0 overtime thriller — that are going to change it.
This time the Blues got the big break. This time it was St. Louis that was somehow outshot 35-18 (not at all indicative of the play) but walked away with the girl on their arm. And it was Chicago that left the rink thinking they deserved better, after Blues captain David Backes ripped a shot at 9:04 of overtime that would have passed harmlessly through the low slot, had it not met the right skate of Chicago defenceman Trevor van Riemsdyk.
It caromed through goalie Corey Crawford, making a winner out of Blues goalie Brian Elliott, who was superb in this series lid-lifter.
“Yeah, obviously not what you want there,” understated van Riemsdyk. “It’s a couple of very good teams just battling, playing the right way. It’s going to be tight games and it’s going to come down to those bounces.”
“I grab it, throw it in front, see it hit a skate, and then you see it disappear,” Backes recounted. “You say a quick prayer and it was answered when I saw it go behind him and into the net.
“We’ll have a little fun, enjoy this for another 25 minutes until midnight, and we’ll have to refocus. We’ve been up 1-0 against this team before. They don’t stop. They don’t quit.”
Oh, yeah. There’s that.
When these teams last met in the playoffs two springs ago, the Blues opened the Round 1 matchup by winning Games 1 and 2 in overtime. Then the Blackhawks put their championship foot on their Stanley Cup gas pedal and claimed four straight. See ya.
Somehow the Blues must find a way to alter that road map, or there is every possibility they’ll clean house here in Missouri. One more first round exit and it’s official: The St. Louis Blues will be the San Jose Sharks of this era.
“We played a really good road game. One of our better games in a long time,” said defenceman Niklas Hjalmarsson, whose tough, steady, subtle game makes him the kind of understated player every championship team has. “We’re playing a good team and we know that. They have four really, really solid lines, and three really solid D pairings. We’re going to have to work hard to get our goals.”
Maybe it’s their history, or perhaps just the fact these were two of the league’s top five clubs in the regular season. But it was as if they hit the fast forward button and went straight to Game 6.
This was tough, abrasive playoff hockey, with fabulous goaltending and a plethora of contact.
“There’s not a big difference playing St. Louis (in Round 1) and playing Tampa in the Final,” said Hjalmarsson, Chicago’s franchise leader among defencemen with 118 playoff starts. “It’s so even nowadays — all eight playoff teams are so close to each other. It’s like a Stanley Cup Final right away. St. Louis is one of the best teams in the league. We’re up for a big task here.”
Chicago opened their playoff road with an overtime game for the fifth consecutive spring. They’re 2-3. Uncanny.
How much overtime has this Blackhawks team endured? This from the Sportsnet Stats department: “Since 2009, the Blackhawks have played 493 minutes, 52 seconds worth of overtime. The equivalent of over eight games.”
The journey is so treacherous that nobody can win back-to-back Cups anymore, something the Hawks have tried and failed at twice before. They’re on the prowl again, but this St. Louis team might just make a long spring and summer off look appealing.
Eight of the last 12 times these teams have met they have required extra time. So this series is destined for more than just a couple more games like Game 1.
Strap yourselves in, folks. This series will be lengthy and, we predict, tremendously entertaining.
