For the second time in four seasons, it's the Blues vs. the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference finals, with the final Stanley Cup winner.
San Jose clinched its Western Conference semifinal series, four games to three, with a 3-2 victory over Colorado on Saturday at SAP Center in San Jose.
Because the Sharks had more regular-season points than the Blues – 101 to 99 – the series opens in San Jose with the Sharks. The series is released by the NHL on Wednesday night following the conclusion of the Sharks-Avalanche game. All start times are Central, with television info in parentheses:
Game 1: Sat., May 11 at San Jose, 7pm (NBC)
Game 2: Mon., May 13 at San Jose, 8p.m. (NBCSN)
Game 3: Wed., May 15 at St. Louis, 7p.m. (NBCSN)
Game 4: Fri., May 17 at St. Louis, 7p.m. (NBCSN)
* Game 5: Sun., May 19 at San Jose, 2p.m. (NBC)
* Game 6: Tues., May 21 at St. Louis, 7p.m. (NBCSN)
* Game 7: Thurs., May 23 at San Jose, 8p.m. (NBCSN)
During the regular season, the Blues went 1-1-1 against the Sharks.
The Blues defeated San Jose 4-0 on Nov. 9 at Enterprise Center with Chad Johnson in goal. Yes, it was a while ago. San Jose was playing its third game in the second and second game of a back-to-back.
The Blues were playing their third game in the back-to-back game. Mike Yeo was fired two days later.
The third and final meeting took place March 9 in San Jose. With Vladimir Tarasenko with Jake Allen playing well in goal, the Blues lost 3-2 in overtime.
In the 2016 Western Final Conference, the Sharks took the series four games to two. The teams have played five times in the playoffs starting in 2000, with San Jose winning three of the series and the Blues two.
PROUD 'PETRO'
Alex Pietrangelo has appeared in the postseason seven times over his Blues career, encompassing 70 games – and counting. But he said Tuesday's dramatic victory might be the topper to date.
"You do not see the hometown kid getting that goal too often, right?" He asked, in reference to Maroon's game-winner. He comes home and scores that goal. Pretty cool for him. "
And pretty cool for the rest of the Blues. Something Pietrangelo might tell his grandkids about some day, right?
"I'll tell my kids first, then maybe my grandkids," he said. "It's pretty cool. I think a lot of people, me included – my parents are here – it's cool when everybody's got the time.
A lot of related players were in St. Louis for Game 7. For example, Jordan Binnington's father was there. Sammy Blais' parents came from Quebec. And the Edmundsons, well, they've been all over these playoffs watching their Joel's.
As for his teammates, Pietrangelo said he has been growing on a daily basis.
"You're going around this group of guys – and a lot of people are saying that we have a resilient effort from where we are now," he said. "Sometimes you've just got to look back and be proud of the effort. It's been a long road, but we just keep on pushing and it's taken everybody right now. But we're finding a way. "
Maroon scores for OT win, Blues advance
Blues, Stars in deciding Game 7
Blues, Stars in deciding Game 7
Blues, Stars in deciding Game 7
Blues, Stars in deciding Game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues, Stars in deciding Game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues, Stars in deciding Game 7
Blues, Stars in deciding Game 7
Blues, Stars in deciding Game 7
Blues, Stars in deciding Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues, Stars in deciding Game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Maroon's OT goal lifts Blues past Stars in Game 7
Maroon's OT goal lifts Blues past Stars in Game 7
Maroon's OT goal lifts Blues past Stars in Game 7
Maroon's OT goal lifts Blues past Stars in Game 7
Maroon's OT goal lifts Blues past Stars in Game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues, Stars in deciding Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues, Stars in deciding Game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues, Stars in deciding Game 7
Blues, Stars in deciding Game 7
Blues, Stars in deciding Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues, Stars in deciding Game 7
Blues, Stars in deciding Game 7
Blues, Stars in deciding Game 7
Blues, Stars in deciding Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues, Stars in deciding Game 7
Blues, Stars in deciding Game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues, Stars in deciding Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues and Stars go for broke in final playoff game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
Blues face off with Stars in Game 7
April 18: 1968: Blues 3, Flyers 1
Quarterfinals at Philadelphia
Won 3-1
Division champ Flyers stopped cold by Mr. Goalie, Glenn Hall.
May 3, 1968: Blues 2, Minnesota 1
Semifinals
vs. Minnesota
Won 2-1 (2 OT)
On day it was announced NBA's St. Louis Hawks were moving to Atlanta, Schock's goal sent St. Louis' first-year hockey team to Stanley Cup Finals.
April 16, 1972: Blues 2, Minnesota 1
1972 Quarterfinals at Minnesota Won 2-1 (OT) Reward for ousting North Stars was series vs. Bobby Orr and the Bruins. Boston swept, scoring 28 goals in four games.
April 22, 1984: Minnesota 4, Blues 3
1984 Division finals at Minnesota Lost 4-3 (OT) Blues had game in hand until Willi Plett got 75-foot shot past Mike Liut, tying game in regulation.
April 30, 1986: Blues 2, Toronto 1
1986 Division finals vs. Toronto Won 2-1 Victory put Blues in NHL's "final four" — last time they've been there.
Conference finals
May 14, 1986: Calgary 2, Blues 1
1986 Conference finals at Calgary Lost 2-1 Blues couldn't cash in after Monday Night Miracle win tied series.
April 30, 1990: Chicago 8, Blues 2
1990 Division finals at Chicago Lost 8-2 In Blues' playoff lore, it's known as the Monday Night Massacre.
April 16, 1991: Blues 3, Detroit 2
1991 Division semifinals vs. Detroit Won 3-2 Blues became 8th NHL team to rebound from 3-1 deficit and win playoff series.
May 15, 1993: Toronto 6, Blues 0
1993 Division finals at Toronto Lost 6-0 Maple Leaf Gardens crowd taunted Cujo: 'Jo-sieve, Jo-sieve, Jo-sieve.".
May 19, 1995: Vancouver 5, Blues 3
1995 Conference quarterfinals vs. Vancouver Lost 5-3 Iron Mike's Blues were Cup contenders, but Canucks won 3 games at Kiel.
May 16, 1996: Detroit 1, Blues 0
1996 Conference semifinals at Detroit Lost 1-0 (2 OT) The Great One coughed up the puck, and Steve Yzerman made the Blues pay.
May 4, 1999: Blues 1, Phoenix 0
1999 First round at Phoenix Win 1-0 (OT) Coyotes coach "guaranteed" a Game 7 victory, but PIerre Turgeon's tip-in at 1:05 a.m. St. Louis time won it for Joel Quenneville's Blues.
April 25, 2000: San Jose 3, Blues 1
2000 First round vs. San Jose Lose 3-1 NHL's regular-season champs lose to No. 8 seed in what a Post-Dispatch columnist calls the "most embarrassing of all the Blues' playoff flops."
April 24, 2003: Vancouver 4, Blues 1
2003 First round at Vancouver Lose 4-1 Al MacInnis returns early from a separated shoulder after Blues blow a 3-1 series lead, but his giveaway leads to Canucks' game-tying goal and The Note's demise.
April 24, 2016: Blues 3, Chicago 2
2016 First round vs. Chicago Win 3-2 The Blues exorcise the demons of recent first-round disappointments when Troy Brouwer scores the winner midway through the third period.
May 11, 2016: Blues 6, Dallas 1
2016 Second round at Dallas Win 6-1 The Blues take away any of the drama with a 3-goal onslaught in the first period.