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NOTE: THE START TIME OF TONIGHT'S GAME HAS BEEN PUSHED BACK TO 7:30 TO ACCOMMODATE FANS LEAVING THE NLDS GAME 1.
Are we ready for this? Do I even need to ask that question? It's finally the home opener - if you're there, get your happy butts into your seats by 7:15 to catch the pre-game introductions and Brett Hull dropping the puck. Technically, this may well be Brett Hull Night three and a half, but that's fine. They can roll the vice president of fun out there as much as they want to, and the fans'll love it.
What the fans'll really love, though, is a winning team that lives up to the promise. I refuse to say "hype," because that's the phrase you use when a team is young and the positive press is drummed up by the team itself. This team is past hype. The young guns are grown up, and the positive press isn't the product of Tom Stillman and the ownership group - the positive press is national.
This isn't hype. These are expectations. This is a mandate from the fans, the owners, and the pundits: do what we know you're capable of. Win. Make a deep playoff run. There's a lot invested in this team by so many people, and this si the year for it to pay off.
Let's do this. Let's get two points. Let's not make my seven and a half hour drive for naught.
Let's go Blues.