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It has been a very good couple of weeks for the St. Louis Blues. At this writing, the Note holds a 3 games to none lead in their playoff series with the Los Angeles Kings. The teams which are just in front of them in the playoff pecking order have either run into first round problems with lesser foes, or have experienced injuries with key personnel.
The Blues are relatively healthy and have enjoyed little difficulty against the Kings.
These recent events have led to bold feelings of confidence, perhaps cockiness, by the Gateway City faithful. Radio talk show callers and hosts, television talking heads and print reporters have boasted:
"Why not the Blues??"
"Hey, ESPN Magazine has chosen the Blues to win itall, and they are a national publication."
"The Blues have owned Dallas and you know that Detroit won't be the same without Mike Vernon".
To you zealous, loyal faithful, I have but one word for you: BEWARE!!
Boys and Girls, I think it's time once again for a history lesson. Remember the old cliché "Don't count your chickens before they are hatched"? This should be posted on the Blues' locker room bulletin board and that of every media outlet and hockey fan in town.
f you disagree, before you mortgage your house to purchase playoff tickets or max out your credit cards to purchase that Kelly Chase designer home jersey, let's take a quick trip in the time machine:
OCTOBER, 15, 1996 Busch Stadium is the scene and the Cardinals are one game away from not only eliminating the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series, but advancing to their World Series appearance in nine years. I recall many of my colleagues at that time not only making World Series plans but also mocking the Braves.
Remember what happened? The Bravos smoked the Redbirds in Game 5 sending the series back to Dixie. There, the Cards were tomahawk chopped in the next two games advancing Atlanta to another World Series and local hotels issuing room refunds.
Local baseball fans STILL do not know what hit them.
SEPTEMBER 7,1997 The St. Louis Rams are home hosting the dreaded San Francisco 49ers. The week before in a game against Tampa Bay, the Niners lost both All Pros Steve Young and Jerry Rice. San Francisco would have to walk into the jaws of death called the Trans World Dome with a Rookie Head Coach, a Rookie Starting Quarterback named Jim Druckenmiller and without their Number One Wide Receiver.
Even the odds makers made the Rams the favorite in that game. St. Louisans felt confident that not only the 49er winning streak over the Rams would come to the end, but the Home Team would inflect some humility to the group from the Bay Area.
Remember what happened? Final Score: San Francisco 15 St. Louis 12. This led Dana Stubblefield to coin the phrase "the same old Rams".
This time it was the football fans shaking their heads in stunned belief.
APRIL-MAY, 1991 The St. Louis Blues have just experienced their finest season in franchise history. Brian Sutter's crew behind Scott Stevens and Brett Hull led the Note to an overall record of 47-22-11, good for 105 Points in the regular season.
Once again, Stanley Cup fever gripped the Gateway City. Even the Beat Writer for the Post Dispatch predicted before the start of the playoffs that the Blues would be hosting the Stanley Cup Victory Parade through the streets of Downtown St. Louis in mid-June.
After a surprising seven game win over Detroit, the Blues met the Bob Gainey-coached Minnesota North Stars in Round 2. Hockey fans in town licked their chops as the North Stars appeared to be simply an appetizer for the main course in the Stanley Cup.
Remember what happened? Behind the goaltending of Jon Casey, and a defensive style which Gainey brought in from his glory days in Montreal, the North Stars advanced. They eventually traveled to the Stanley Cup finals that year. Meanwhile the Blues were sent to an abrupt early summer vacation with their team record 105 Points.
Again, the fans had their confidence shattered and their hearts broken.
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BASKETBALL You remember what happened!! Tiger hoop fans were crushed when their nationally-ranked heroes from Columbia were sent home in the first round against the likes of Lamar, Xavier, Rhode Island, and Northern Iowa.
Confidence: a good thing. Over-confidence: a bad thing. The trick is to identify each.
The Blues must continue to focus on the mission at hand and not pay attention to radio shows, newspaper columnists, and television talking heads. Gentlemen, JUST PLAY HOCKEY!
If you accept that the Blues will advance to Round 2 (hypothetically, of course!!), in all likelihood they will meet the Dallas Stars. Our history lesson reminds us that the Dallas Stars were once the Minnesota North Stars who eliminated the Blues in 1991. Once again Bob Gainey is involved with the operations of the team.
Dallas is a dangerous hockey team. Yes, it is true that the Blues had their number during the regular season and several of the Stars' players are injured. But, this Dallas team earned more points than any other in the NHL in 1997-1998.
Secondly, come playoff time, the "old time Montreal" defensive style of hockey is quite effective. Dallas coach Ken Hitchcock is a disciple of this style and an excellent coach.
Thirdly, if you accept the argument that a goaltender such as Grant Fuhr can carry a team in the playoffs, they you must accept that a similar goaltender such as Blues nemesis Ed Belfour could also carry a team.
But hey, I'm a sport!! Let's pretend the Blues do indeed eliminate the Stars.
In all likelihood, the Conference Championship will start in either Detroit or Colorado. These are just the two Stanley Cup Champions from the past two seasons.
If and only if, the Blues can survive the Conference Finals, (which will occur after the Semi-Finals, which comes after the Divisional first round series) then comes the Stanley Cup Finals against the Eastern Conference Champion. Possible opponents: New Jersey or Montreal or Pittsburgh-all teams with Stanley Cup Championships this decade.
The first team to win sixteen games (translated into almost 20% of the Regular Season) goes home the winner.
So folks, don't line up those marching bands and turn on those ticker-tape machines just quite yet. This marathon has a long way to run. Over confidence can burst your bubble.
No problem. Our recent sports history lesson has prepared us for anything.
Or, in the immortal words of the famous beer Ad which dons the Vandeventer Overpass and hockey broadcasts alike:
Beware of the Penguins. (And the Stars, And the Red Wings, And the Avalanche, ...)
EDITOR'S NOTE: Mike Huss hosts "Sportstalk" on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:00 pm, on WGNU AM-920, St. Louis.
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