Schwartz
One of the more memorable moments of Round 1 for me was when Jaden Schwartz took over game 6, ringing in a hat trick and advancing the Blues to the second round. Winnipeg's home ice performance in 2019 was quite the opposite of the recent 2025 team that defeated the Blues in double overtime.
Hometown Hero
It was already a picture-perfect tale, Pat Maroon, a native of the St. Louis area, playing for the NHL team he grew up watching and hoping to play for. Then, Maroon added a game-winning goal in game seven versus the Dallas Stars, electrifying the building and energizing the city of St. Louis. Speaking through the lens of a fan, the emotions were indescribable at the time, especially for someone from the area. A strong bond is built, and a belief is created that the player represents the city.
A Helping Hand
Do you know what it feels like to be cheated? If so, that’s the feeling I walked away after game 3 when the Blues faced the Sharks. Timo Meier’s famous hand pass to Erik Karlsson, which led to his goal, would go down as one of the most controversial goals in NHL playoff history. I wonder if or how the outlook would have changed if the Sharks had gone on to win the series.
Karlsson and Meier’s moment of victory was short-lived, though. The Blues would physically dominate the rest of the series, leaving the team's scoring leader, Tomas Hertl, Captain Joe Pavelski, and Erik Karlsson watching from the sidelines as they all suffered injuries, according to tsn.com.
Inspiration
Laila Anderson, a Blues superfan, was being treated at St. Children's Hospital with a life-threatening immune disease disorder called HLH. The young girl was a part of the team's historic run to the cup, and she would now be attending game three in Boston with the team. The eleven-year-old girl would capture the nation's attention with her sincere love for the sport of hockey and ability to fight back.
Boom Boom Gunnarson
Carl Gunnarson’s goal in OT of game 2 of the final was, without a doubt, a momentum shifter. This only added to the excitement and tension. Gunnarson was a steady contributor who brought a calming presence to the ice.
Big Daddy Vladi
I would also like to point out that Vladi can be overlooked at times despite his shining performances. According to nhl.com, Vladimir Tarasenko scored 11 goals in the 2019 playoff series, only Jaden Schwartz and Logan Couture leading.
Off Come The Gloves
Watching a hockey team throw their gloves in the air may not sound very meaningful, but to me, it was the beginning of a new era. Some say the city of St. Louis is spoiled with the Cardinals currently holding 11 World Series championships, coming in second to the New York Yankees, according to espn.com. The city has been waiting for Cup.
Let’s Party
According to forbes.com, the downtown area of St. Louis is estimated to have over one million people for the Blues Rally. With Busch Stadium filled, players jumping into the crowd, and Jordan Binnington riding a minibike up and down the streets of St. Louis, the city was electric.
Personally, I was 1,500 miles away but I felt as though I was at every game and celebration. So, if you're a St. Louis Blues fan. You'll never forget the year 2019. You'll never forget what you are doing. You'll never forget where you were. You'll never forget what you were thinking. You'll never forget how you were feeling. Even if you were 1,500 miles away.