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Vegas Golden Knights – Knight Time

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Throughout the year, the Sip Advisor will alphabetically travel the National Hockey League (NHL), discovering the best and worst each team has to offer in a variety of subjects. We will also feature a drink based off the franchise. Today, we travel to Sin City to take a gamble on the Vegas Golden Knights:

Establishment Story: The Golden Knights joined the NHL as an expansion team in 2017. Vegas played their expansion draft to perfection, putting together a lineup of “misfits/castoffs” that ended up working very well together. This changed the trajectory of the franchise and instead of struggling for many years, as most expansion clubs do, the Golden Knights have chased the Stanley Cup instead.

Stanley Cups: The Golden Knights captured their first Stanley Cup (2023) in only their sixth season of existence, just as owner Bill Foley forecast, defeating the Florida Panthers. They also came incredibly close in their first year of operation, losing in the 2018 Finals to the Washington Capitals. Vegas has been a contender nearly every season, missing the playoffs only once.

Celebrity Fan: Being based in the entertainment capital of Las Vegas has allowed for many celebrity supporters to adopt the team. This includes long-time performers in the city, such as Wayne Newton, Criss Angel and Carrot Top. Other inhabitants of Vegas, including poker player Daniel Negreanu, chef Gordon Ramsay and boxing ring announcer Michael Buffer have also had associations with the team.

Golden Knights

Super Fan: John ‘Hulk’ Baratta was an original Golden Knights season ticket member, who attended games sporting a Hulk Hogan-style mustache and dressed in a shirt he would rip off when Vegas scored. Sadly, Baratta passed away in March 2020, prompting the Golden Knights to honour him with a video tribute at their next home game. Fans in Baratta’s usual section were given tear-away shirts, which they ripped off when Vegas scored.

Mascot: Chance is a gila monster who came to the team from Red Rock Canyon, located outside Las Vegas. The lizard, coloured the same as the hockey team, debuted at the Golden Knights second ever home game on October 13, 2017. Vegas purposely stayed away from using a knight as their mascot, as they felt examples from other teams weren’t very child-friendly.

Tradition: The Golden Knights home rink, T-Mobile Arena, has quickly become one of the most raucous barns in the NHL. This is thanks to in-game entertainment, highlighted by a battle between knights, themed around that game’s combatants. Given T-Mobile Arena’s location along the Vegas strip, the fun begins well before game time, including a parade that winds its way from the Brooklyn Bridge outside New York New York up to the building.

Appearances in Media: The Golden Knights inaugural season is documented in the film Valiant, released in 2019. The movie received its premiere screening at T-Mobile Arena. Many also believe that first Cinderella season could eventually be turned into a Hollywood film, with casting choices including Anthony Hopkins as coach Gerard Gallant, Jon Hamm as GM George McPhee and Adrien Brody as goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.

Chance

Events/Scandals: As the Golden Knights chased the Stanley Cup, under the mandate of owner Bill Foley, some have accused the team of being disloyal to players who helped the team become successful. Original misfits, such as Erik Haula, Nate Schmidt and Marc-Andre Fleury (the first face of the franchise), were callously jettisoned to make room for replacements/in salary cap dumps. With a Stanley Cup won in just year six of existence, some would argue the ends justify the means.

Rivalry: A top rival to the Golden Knights, thanks to a nasty playoff history, is the San Jose Sharks. Facing each other in back-to-back post-seasons, both clubs have won one series. The hatred between the teams has diminished lately, though, as San Jose is going through a long-term rebuild. Another adversary of Vegas is any fan who believes their success came to soon and more suffering should have been endured in the team’s earliest years.

Tragedy: On October 1, 2017, days before the Golden Knights played their first-ever game, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock shot and killed 58 people from his 32nd-floor suite in the Mandalay Bay hotel. The victims were attending the Route 91 Harvest music festival nearby. For Vegas’ home opener on October 10, the team paid tribute to those slain, retiring jersey #58, as a remembrance of the incident.

Player Nicknames: Phil Kessel, holder of the NHL’s Iron Man record at 1,064 consecutive games played, joined the Golden Knights for the 2022-23 season. Known for his prolific scoring, rather than his defensive acumen, Kessel was nicknamed Selke by teammates, a reference to the NHL trophy given to the best defensive forward each season. Another good moniker was given to goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who was dubbed The Dude, during his time with Vegas, comparing him to the protagonist of The Big Lebowski.

Phil Kessel

Line: The Misfit Line, comprised of William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith, played together since the Golden Knights began play in 2017, up until Smith was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2023 off-season. Each joined the team as part of the Expansion Draft, with Karlsson and Marchessault being selections and Smith being traded so Vegas selected Marchessault. In year one, Karlsson scored 43 goals, a single-season NHL expansion team record.

Captain: Mark Stone is the only captain in Golden Knights history, given the distinction on January 13, 2021. Prior to Stone’s appointment, the team had gone with groups of alternate captains, with Deryk Engelland and Reilly Smith being part of the leadership group for each season, along with others. In 2017-18, six different players wore an ‘A’ at some point for the club.

Enforcer: Ryan Reaves holds the Golden Knights single-season penalty minutes record with 74. The record was set in 2018-19, Reaves first full season with the team after coming over from the Pittsburgh Penguins in February 2018. In the 2021 off-season, Reaves was traded to the New York Rangers, in exchange for a third-round draft pick in 2022. Brayden McNabb holds the team’s all-time penalty minute record, while Keegan Kolesar has the most fighting majors in Vegas history.

Family Values: Vegas has yet to have any family members play together or even at different times in their brief history. The best I can fill this section is to highlight second generation/brotherly players who have suited up for the Golden Knights, such as Jake Leschyshyn, whose father Curtis Leschyshyn played 1,033 NHL games; Brett Howden whose older brother is Quinton Howden; and Reilly Smith whose older brother is Brendan Smith.

Mark Stone

Returning Players: While his tenure with the team technically never ended, the Golden Knights did attempt to trade forward Evgenii Dadonov to the Anahemi Ducks at the 2022 NHL trade deadline, with the transaction voided, due to Dadonov having Anaheim on his no trade list. The Ottawa Senators, who had previously traded Dadonov to Vegas, had neglected to inform the Golden Knights of his no-trade contract clause, leading to later punishment of the Senators organization.

Short Stint: A number of the players that were integral to the Golden Knights successful inaugural season left the team that campaign. This included early stars David Perron and James Neal. Also, goaltender Jonathan Quick joined Vegas for 10 regular season games and zero playoff appearances, winning his third Stanley Cup as the Golden Knights took home the 2023 championship.

Undrafted: Defenseman Zach Whitecloud was signed out of college by the Golden Knights in 2018. He remains with the team to this day, having signed a six-year, $16.5 million contract extension in 2021. Whitecloud is the first player to reach the NHL from the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation and was a member of the team’s 2023 Stanley Cup championship squad. During that playoff run, Whitecloud contributed two goals and six assists.

Trade: With the early success of the franchise, the Golden Knights have often gone big game hunting, in on every NHL star that becomes available. This has led to the team acquiring the likes of Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty and Jack Eichel via trade. While giving up notable assets to add these players to the roster, both Stone and Eichel were key cogs of the 2023 Stanley Cup-winning crew.

Jack Eichel

Signing: Much like going after big fish in trades, Vegas has also pursued many of the top free agents in their early years. The organization’s best signing was luring Alex Pietrangelo from the St. Louis Blues in 2020, inking the former Blues captain to a seven-year, $61.6 million pact. Pietrangelo brought with him to Vegas the experience of winning the 2019 Stanley Cup, hoisting a second championship with the Golden Knights.

Draft Pick: Vegas entered their first ever draft in 2017 with three first round picks. They selected Cody Glass (6th overall), Nick Suzuki (13th overall) and Erik Brannstrom (15th overall), all of which have been traded away in an attempt to sustain the unprecedented success of the team’s first season. Later, Peyton Krebs (17th overall in 2019) would also be sent packing as part of another trade package.

Holdouts: Following his breakout rookie season, defenseman Shea Theodore was due a new contract. With each side looking for a different length to his next deal, Theodore missed the first two weeks of training camp, before finally putting pen to paper. With a seven-year, $36.4 million pact finalized, Theodore continued his upward trajectory, even while being treated for testicular cancer.

Buyouts: Vadim Shipachyov’s time in the NHL was brief, but interesting. The Golden Knights signed him out of the Kontinental Hockey League in May 2017, before they had even formed the bulk of their team via the expansion draft. After three games to begin Vegas’ inaugural season, Shipachyov was demoted to their minor league affiliate. After failing to report to the team, Shipachyov’s contract was terminated and he returned to Russia.

Vadim Shipachyov

Unique Game: Despite their short history, the Golden Knights have already been summoned to participate in a number of marquee NHL events. First, Vegas faced the Colorado Avalanche as part of the 2021 Outdoors at Lake Tahoe. They are also set to oppose the Seattle Kraken for the 2024 Winter Classic. Lastly, the Golden Knights played a pre-season game in both 2021 and 2022 against the Los Angeles Kings in Salt Lake City, with the contests dubbed Frozen Fury.

Goal: James Neal scored the first two goals in franchise history, earning the Golden Knights their first ever victory. Years later, Jonathan Marchessault tallied three game-winning goals in the 2023 playoffs, earning the Conn Smythe Trophy for his efforts, becoming the first undrafted player to win the playoff MVP award since Wayne Gretzky in 1988. Vegas’ cup-clinching game was won with a score of 9-3, the game-winning goal coming off the stick of Reilly Smith.

Fight/Brawl: As the Golden Knights took a commanding 3-1 lead at the end of Game 4 of the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals versus the Florida Panthers, a typical scrum between the two teams began. The gathering quickly turned into more than just players grabbing jerseys, as some combatants started fighting with one another. Adding to the chaos was frustrated Florida fans littering the ice with debris. The Panthers were assessed 26 penalty minutes in the melee, while Vegas walked away with just two penalty minutes.

Injury: The Golden Knights have always seemed to struggle with injuries to their goaltenders. In their first month of NHL play, they were forced to use four different backstops and five goalies appeared for the team in that inaugural campaign. The trend has continued with starting netminder Robin Lehner missing two full seasons with chronic hip issues and the team using a triage of goalies en route to their Stanley Cup championship.

Lake Tahoe

Penalty: In the first round of the 2019 playoffs, the Golden Knights were up 3-0 in Game 7 of their series against the San Jose Sharks. Off a faceoff, Vegas center Cody Eakin cross-checked Sharks center Joe Pavelski, who fell awkwardly, hitting his head and becoming injured. The referees gave Eakin a five-minute major for a hit to the head. San Jose scored four goals on that power play, eventually winning the game 5-4 in overtime. Golden Knights GM George McPhee said the NHL later called to apologize for the penalty call error.

Wildest Story: For their inaugural season, the Golden Knights were given 500-1 odds of winning the Stanley Cup. When the team exceeded expectations and made the Finals, sportsbooks must have grown a little nervous about potential payouts. All tolled, only 13 bets were placed on Vegas at 500-1, all $20 or less. That said, a $20 wager would earn $10,000 in winnings, while $1 gambles would translate to a $500 payout. It was all moot, though, as Vegas failed to win the championship.

Blooper: During an April 2022 game against the Vancouver Canucks, the Golden Knights handed their opponents an easy power play goal. William Karlsson won a faceoff in his own zone, drawing the puck back to defenseman Alec Martinez, who while trying to play the puck, redirected it past goaltender Robin Lehner. The tally was credited to Bo Horvat, who took the faceoff for Vancouver. In the end, Vegas still managed to win the game 3-2 in overtime.

Miscellaneous: Lil Jon, who has been attached to the Golden Knights on occasion, is actually listed as the team’s Offensive Coordinator on their website, thanks to a funny viral video, featuring the rapper. The video sees head coach Bruce Cassidy bring in Jon to help his club’s offensive woes, with the rapper advising all will be well if the team just takes “shots, shots, shots… YEAH!”

Vegas Golden Knights: Knight Time

Knight Time

  • 1.5 oz Whiskey
  • 0.5 oz Orange Liqueur
  • Top with Sweet & Sour Mix
  • Garnish with Lemon and Lime Slices

A number of bars around Vegas have got in on the act of supporting the Golden Knights with themed cocktails. This particular offering can be found at Station Casinos around the infamous vacation destination.

St. Louis Blues – Monday Night Miracle

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Throughout the year, the Sip Advisor will alphabetically travel the National Hockey League (NHL), discovering the best and worst each team has to offer in a variety of subjects. We will also feature a drink based off the franchise. Today, we journey through the Gateway to the West, checking in with the St. Louis Blues:

Establishment Story: The Blues entered the NHL during the 1967 expansion from the Original Six to 12 teams. The league had previously dabbled with the city by relocating the original Ottawa Senators there, becoming the St. Louis Eagles. The Eagles played one season (1934-35) before folding. The Blues are named for the W.C. Handy song Saint Louis Blues, released in 1914.

Stanley Cups: The Blues lone Stanley Cup victory occurred in 2019. The team also made the Stanley Cup Finals three times in their first three seasons, when the league’s divisions were split into the Original Six and the 1967 expansion teams (Next Six). St. Louis lost each time, twice to the Montreal Canadiens and once to the Boston Bruins. Revenge against Boston finally came with that 2019 championship.

Celebrity Fan: There are a number of famous supporters of the Blues, including actors Jon Hamm and Jenna Fischer, who both call St. Louis home. Hamm and Fischer were honourary coaches during the 2020 NHL All-Star Game in St. Louis and were prominent in the Blues Stanley Cup run in 2019. Because of his lifelong love of the Blues, Hamm has also done a fair bit of work for the NHL, including hosting the NHL100 event.

Jon Hamm

Super Fan: Laila Anderson is often credited with inspiring the Blues to turn around their 2018-19 season, which climaxed with their Stanley Cup championship. Anderson, who battled a rare auto-immune disease during that season, became a mascot of sorts for the club, as she celebrated the Stanley Cup win with them on the ice and at their rally. Anderson was also presented with a Stanley Cup ring, which is etched with her name on the inside.

Mascot: Louie is a blue polar bear, who debuted during the 2007-08 season. Louie’s backstory says he travelled to St. Louis from the Arctic Circle, inspired to search out his favourite hockey team. A 2021 poll conducted by Play Canada ranked Louie as the fourth most popular mascot in the NHL, but given the winner of the poll was Carlton the Bear of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the poll loses all credibility.

Tradition: The Blues and their fans have a couple rituals of note. First, following a goal, a bell tone is played for each tally scored that night, as the crowd counts along. Also, during the team’s 2018-19 season turnaround and Stanley Cup run, the song Gloria by Laura Branigan became the Blues theme track, played after each win. The tune was retired after St. Louis celebrated raising their Stanley Cup banner.

Appearances in Media: The Tom Hanks post-apocalyptic movie Finch is set in St. Louis and features his characters wearing a classic Blues jersey. Also, musician Nelly, a proud St. Louis native, can be seen alternating between St. Louis Cardinals and Blues gear throughout the music video for his hit song Country Grammar. Nelly can often be seen in Blues paraphernalia and is a big fan of the team.

Nelly

Events/Scandals: Just days after the Blues were eliminated from the 2004 playoffs, player Mike Danton was arrested on a conspiracy to commit murder charge. Danton had attempted to hire a hitman to murder his agent David Frost. Danton was sentenced to 90 months in prison, serving 63 before he was released. Danton later claimed his estranged father was the intended target of the murder-for-hire plot.

Rivalry: The Blues have had a long-standing feud with the Chicago Blackhawks, as the two teams have shared a division since 1970. While brawls between the clubs were common, one particular melee in 1991 is known as the St. Patrick’s Day Massacre. The result of the fights was 12 players ejected and three players suspended. Interestingly, all six Sutter brothers were members of each team in 1991-92.

Tragedy: Bob Gassoff played for the Blues from 1973 to 1977. At a party following the 1976-77 season, hosted by teammate Garry Unger, Gassoff was involved in a motorcycle accident, killing him at only 24 years old. Following his death, Gassoff’s number 3 jersey was retired by the Blues and the Bob Gassoff Trophy was created, rewarded to the most improved defenseman of the Central Hockey League. Gassoff holds the Blues record for penalty minutes in a season at 306.

Player Nicknames: Brett Hull’s father, Bobby Hull, was nicknamed the Golden Jet during his illustrious hockey career. Therefore, the moniker the Golden Brett was bestowed upon Brett, who shared his father’s scoring touch. Once Brett joined the Blues in 1988, he became one of the league’s most dangerous scorers, holding the franchise records for single-season and career goals. Hull’s jersey number 16 was retired by the Blues in 2006.

Brett Hull

Line: Sometimes, it doesn’t matter who the third member of a line is, so long as the first two pieces have tremendous chemistry. Such was the case when Brett Hull and Adam Oates were paired together, comprising the duo of Hull & Oates, a play on the musical tandem Hall & Oates. Together, Hull and Oates played together from 1989 to 1992, with Hull scoring 212 goals during that span, while his frequent playmaker Oates recorded 228 assists.

Captain: Brian Sutter was the longest-serving captain in Blues history, holding the mantle from 1979 up until his retirement in 1988. Sutter played his entire career with St. Louis, drafted by the team 20th overall in 1976. After hanging up his skates, Sutter became head coach of the Blues, leading them behind the bench from 1988 to 1992. Sutter’s number 11 jersey was retired by the organization on December 30, 1988.

Enforcer: Kelly Chase and Tony Twist were known as the Bruise Brothers while they played together for the Blues in 1989-90 and later from 1997 to 1999. The two had been together in junior hockey with the Saskatoon Blades and the minor leagues with the Peoria Rivermen. Despite being good friends and Twist living in Chase’s house while he was with the Hartford Whalers, the two even fought each other during a March 9, 1996 game.

Family Values: The Plager brothers (Bobby, Barclay and Bill) played together for the Blues from 1968 to 1972. The trio helped lead St. Louis to their three straight Stanley Cup Finals appearances after the Blues joined the NHL. Another brother set to suit up together with St. Louis was Gino and Paul Cavallini. They were both members of the franchise from 1987 to 1992.

Plager Brothers

Returning Players: David Perron has had three stints with the Blues. He was drafted by the team in 2007, playing six seasons, before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers in 2013. Perron returned to St. Louis as a free agent in 2016, but after one season, was the Vegas Golden Knights Expansion Draft choice from the Blues. He was back in St. Louis in 2018, playing four seasons, before signing as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings in 2022.

Short Stint: Some of the greatest players of all-time have had such short stints with St. Louis, that seeing them in a Blues jersey looks odd. This includes goalies Martin Brodeur (seven games after two decades with the New Jersey Devils), and Tom Barrasso (six games), along with Peter Stastny (27 games, regular season and playoffs combined), and even Wayne Gretzky (31 games, regular season and playoffs combined).

Undrafted: Curtis Joseph, nicknamed Cujo, from the Stephen King novel of the same name, was signed out of the NCAA University of Wisconsin in 1989. He would remain in St. Louis until 1995, gaining a reputation as one of the best goalies in the league, including being a Vezina Trophy finalist for the 1992-93 season. In 2015, Joseph was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame.

Trade: Among the Blues better acquisitions were bringing in Brett Hull from the Calgary Flames in March 1988 (along with Steve Bozek for Rob Ramage and Rick Wamsley), followed by Adam Oates from the Detroit Red Wings in June 1989 (along with Paul MacLean for Bernie Federko and Tony Mckegney). The two combined to make one of the most lethal offensive duos in NHL history, as noted above.

Curtis Joseph

Signing: In the early 90s, the Blues made a number of offer sheet signings to restricted free agents. They threw out contracts to the likes of Scott Stevens (twice!), Dave Christian, Brendan Shanahan, Michel Goulet, Marty McSorely, Petr Nedved, and Shayne Corson. Only Goulet, McSorely and Stevens (the second time) didn’t end up with the club, but the cost of the acquisitions was a number of draft picks and key players lost in compensation.

Draft Pick: The Blues have had an interesting draft history. The team passed on their opportunity to make any picks in their very first draft in 1967, didn’t participate in the 1983 draft, and had five straight first rounders (1991-95) transfer to the Washington Capitals, as compensation for the successful Scott Stevens offer sheet. They have selected first overall just once, taking defenseman Erik Johnson in 2006.

Holdouts: Alex Pietrangelo only missed one training camp practice before signing a seven-year, $45.5 million contract with the Blues in 2013. The hope was that Pietrangelo would spend his entire career with the team, but the defenseman, who was selected fourth overall in 2008, joined the Vegas Golden Knights in free agency in 2020 (seven years, $61.6 million), upon the expiry of the aforementioned pact.

Buyouts: The Blues have only used two buyouts in their history and none since 2009. In 2007, the team parted ways with captain Dallas Drake, following six seasons in St. Louis. Drake would move onto the Detroit Red Wings for a season, retiring as a Stanley Cup champion. Two years later, defenseman Jay McKee was bought out of the final year of his four-year, $16 million contract signed in 2006. His final campaign came with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Pietrangelo

Unique Game: The Blues have participated in two Winter Classic games. First, they hosted the rival Chicago Blackhawks in 2017, followed by facing the Minnesota Wild in 2022. St. Louis and the Edmonton Oilers also participated in the 1990 Epson Cup in Dusseldorf, West Germany, which included a game against each other as part of the tournament. Finally, the Blues opened their 2009-10 season with a pair of games against the Detroit Red Wings in Stockholm, Sweden, for the 2009 NHL Premiere.

Goal: Blues fans waited 52 years for the club’s first Stanley Cup and it took a 4-1 win in Game 7 of the finals against the Boston Bruins to get that title. The St. Louis faithful were put at ease when Ryan O’Reilly tallied the opening goal of that game at 16:47 of the first period and the Blues never looked back. O’Reilly was later named the Conn Smythe Trophy recipient as playoff MVP.

Fight/Brawl: Blues history is littered with infamous brawls. These include melees against the Philadelphia Flyers (1972), Pittsburgh Penguins (1973), New York Rangers (1974), Chicago Blackhawks (1991 St. Patrick’s Day Massacre), and Detroit Red Wings (1993). The fracas with the Penguins occurred during a pre-season contest and lasted 20 minutes, with fighting occurring in the penalty boxes and the hallway leading from them to St. Louis’ dressing room.

Injury: Two Blues defensemen have suffered serious heart issues during games with the team. First, during the 1998 playoffs, Chris Pronger was hit with a slapshot to the chest in a contest against the Detroit Red Wings. This caused Pronger to go into cardiac arrest due to his heart rhythm being disrupted. Next, in 2020, Jay Bouwmeester collapsed on the bench due to cardiac arrest. Thankfully, both players survived their ordeals, but Bouwmeester never played in the NHL again.

Ryan O'Reilly

Penalty: During a 1969 pre-season game, Wayne Maki got into a stick swinging fight against Ted Green of the Boston Bruins. Maki clubbed Green over the head, resulting in a fractured skull and brain injury. Both players were charged with assault, becoming the first NHL players to face criminal prosecution for an on-ice incident, but were acquitted. Maki was suspended 30 days, while Green missed the entire season recovering.

Wildest Story: The Blues were almost moved to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 1983, but the NHL’s Board of Governors voted to reject the proposed $12 million sale. This led to lawsuits between then owner Ralston Purina (of the Purina animal food empire) and the NHL, with control of the franchise taken over by the league. The result was the Blues stayed in St. Louis, when a new ownership group, led by businessman Harry Ornest, was put together.

Blooper: In February 2006, Blues defenseman Dennis Wideman made one of the most memorable shootout attempts of all-time… memorable for all the wrong reasons. As Wideman swiftly skated towards Chicago Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford, he made a nice deke move, but lost a skate edge and went flying up in the air, landing flat on his back, with the puck sliding into the corner of the rink.

Miscellaneous: Bernie Federko deserves some mentioning, as he’s the Blues career leader in games, assists and points, while sitting second all-time in goals. Federko was drafted by St. Louis seventh overall in 1976, remaining with the team until a 1989 trade to the Detroit Red Wings. Federko would have his number 24 jersey retired by the Blues in 1991 and for an extended period was the color commentator on the team’s TV broadcasts.

St. Louis Blues: Monday Night Miracle

Monday Night Miracle

  • 1.5 oz Gin or Vodka
  • 1 oz Blue Curacao
  • Splash of Lime Juice
  • Garnish with a Lime Slice

This cocktail is named after the greatest comeback in Blues history, Game 6 of the Campbell Conference Finals, which occurred on Monday, May 12, 1986. The Blues were down 5-2 with 12 minutes left in the contest, when they rallied to force overtime and won 6-5. Despite the momentum change, they would still lose the series to the Calgary Flames.