Twitter Reaction: St. Louis Blues win Game 7 and the Stanley Cup

St. Louis Blues' Colton Parayko discusses his team's battle to get to the finals and ultimately win it against the Boston Bruins, then his fellow warrior, Laila Anderson discusses her emotions after winning.

As it turns out, Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final was just as unpredictable as the St. Louis Blues‘s whole season.

The climb from worst to official first was completed with a 4-1 win in Boston, but this one easily could have gone the other way. In the first period, the Blues went nearly 15 minutes without getting a shot on net as Boston pressed but couldn’t convert.

On just their third shot of the game, St. Louis opened the scoring and never looked back.

Here’s how Twitter reacted through some of Game 7’s biggest moments, and after the Stanley Cup was raised by the Blues for the first time in franchise history.

BLUES FIRST GOAL

There was a little more than three minutes left in the first period when Ryan O’Reilly tipped Jay Bouwmeester‘s shot to open the scoring. Boston had been carrying the momentum throughout the period, so this was the first instance in which you started thinking “maybe this just isn’t going to be Boston’s night.”

O’Reilly made a bit of history with the goal and his Conn Smythe candidacy grew.

BLUES MAKE IT 2-0

As hard as the first goal was to swallow for the Bruins, Alex Pietrangelo‘s goal with eight seconds left in the first was a back-breaker. St. Louis managed just four shots in the first period, yet came out of it with a 2-0 lead. The talk of this goal, however, was Brad Marchand’s inexplicable line change after getting beat by St. Louis’ rush inside his own blue line.

BIG BINNINGTON SAVE

After a goalless second period, the game was still within reach for Boston and even one lucky bounce would bring them within one. No one in their right mind would have been counting Boston out with more than 10 minutes to go in the third period and just a two goal deficit. Heck, they’re famous in a certain city to the north for overcoming a late 4-1 deficit in a Game 7. That chance seemed to come in this moment on the stick of Joakim Nordstrom, but when Jordan Binnington got the pad out, it sort of felt like Boston’s opportunity had passed…

BLUES GO UP 3-0

And just a few short minutes later, the scales were tipped the other way and all hope was sucked out of the TD Garden. Brayden Schenn’s goal sealed Boston’s fate and sent the Blues down the home stretch to the Stanley Cup. The two teams traded goals in the final minutes and wrapped up a 4-1 Blues win.

O’REILLY CONN SMYTHE BUZZ

With time rapidly clicking off the clock through the eyes of Bruins fans, or crawling away to a Blues supporter, buzz started to pick up around who this year’s Conn Smythe winner would be. Binnington was about to become the first rookie goalie to win 16 games in a playoff run and was the star of Game 7. Tuukka Rask was Boston’s rock and there were questions before Game 7 if his effort should be rewarded even if Boston lost.

But O’Reilly had a monster Stanley Cup Final and was solid for the Blues throughout the playoffs. In the end, his accomplishments were voted the best.

THE STANLEY CUP

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. The best trophy in sports made its way to the TD Garden ice to be rewarded to the away team. (By the way, can we get a winner on home ice again soon please?)

There was something new in this year’s ceremony, with some pyrotechnics behind commissioner Gary Bettman as he passed the Stanley Cup over to Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo.

WHO GETS IT FIRST?

It’s always a question this time of year: who will the captain pass the Stanley Cup off to first? Would it go straight to the assistants? Maybe hometown boy Pat Maroon?

Or how about Jay Bouwmeester, veteran of 1,184 career games in his first Stanley Cup Final appearance and only third time beyond Round 1.

THE CUP PASSES THROUGH THE BLUES

After Bouwmeester, the longest-tenured Blue, Alex Steen, got it, followed be a string of more veterans. Every one of the Blues got a chance to lift the Cup in front of a thinning out Bruins crowd, a concentration of Blues fans, and the cheers of excited teammates and elated family members.

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