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The Blues took an early vacation, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun as the hunt for Lord Stanley’s Cup begins. While the current Blues team decided to choke on a “not good enough” sandwich last Saturday, there are plenty of ex-Blues competing this month in the playoffs.
David Backes, T.J. Oshie, Ryan Reaves, David Perron, Paul Stastny, Jori Lehtera, Ian Cole, Roman Polak, Brian Elliott, and Erik Johnson immediately come to mind, but I’m sure there are more, so lay your names in the comments below if I missed one.
Now, I could just tell you who I’d like to see win the Cup and be done with it. That would be a mildly sexy 450 word column that you could digest in five minutes. I’ll give my take, but I wanted to reach out to the rest of the afflicted Blues loyals around the city, country, and even the world. See what they thought about a former Blue winning it all before St. Louis would.
There have been a few. Brett Hull hurts the most. One of the greatest Blues of all time left and won a Cup with two different teams for fucks sake.
Here’s what Blues nation had to say about their ex-lovers.
Reaves has to top the list. Followed by anybody but Lehtera.
— Joe Selby (@nascarfan999) April 13, 2018
Reaves is a good choice. The enforcer turned durable fourth line contributor struck a chord with Blues fans with his rugged work on the ice combined with his playful side off the ice. Who can forget blowing a kiss to the Dallas Stars bench during the 2015-16 playoffs? Epic.
A @rreaves75 Cpu would be the coolest story though. That team has nothing to lose. They play like it every night.
— #3Gassoff (@3BluesFan) April 13, 2018
While the others got some votes, there was one overwhelming pick, and for a damn good reason. This scored 206 goals and tallied 460 points in his ten years in St. Louis, including a playoff goal on his birthday. He beat Jonathan Toews up a few times and hit players so hard I started calling him “freight train”. David Backes got the most attention in my comments.
Backes. That’s the only correct answer.
— Jaime △⃘⃒ (@bluesfan920) April 13, 2018
Backes. He is the Blues personified. Not the most skilled. But physical and played with heart every night. Captained the Blues to a WCF appearance for the first time in 15 years and gave his heart to the city. I love Petro. But Backes will always be My Captain. pic.twitter.com/m41Jtua1mV
— Matt (@Blues_Record) April 13, 2018
Backes. Because for some reason I like the Bruins and because it’ll be a great “fuck you” to Army for not re-signing him.
— Fabbri’s Hair (@FabbrisHair) April 13, 2018
Personally, I hate to see the human ice glacier, Lethera, win the Cup. Sorry Brian Elliott, but I can promise you Doug Armstrong couldn’t pleated pants for a week if Jori won the Cup. He’d be hiding his arousal for days. I don’t want to see that. Next would be Oshie, for reasons I can’t explain.
Backes tops my list. He’s among my top 3 Blues of all time. A true captain who left it all on the ice every time he took it. Underrated until he left, Backes should have gotten an extension over Alexander Steen. This team’s spine wouldn’t have been misplaced with #42 still clocking in.
Next, seeing Reaves hoist the Cup would be sweet, even if Frenchie did as well. Stastny was an honorable Blue who got shuffled to the third line because of the Lehtera trials.
Backes. Grade A human being and hockey player.
— sean drummond (@drummond_sean) April 13, 2018
Stastny, Oshie, Polak are the only ones I'm OK with.
— Josh Kranzberg (@JEKranzberg) April 13, 2018
Definitely not OK with Backes, Perron, Elliott, or EJ. The first three are because they JUST left and the pain would be too much.
EJ because...well, screw him.
elliott. just to rub all the goalies the blues moved to make allen happy alt in the wound. plus screw the PENS!
— pǝıɟıɹǝʌ ɐɯnɐɹʇ pooɥpןıɥɔ ⚠️ (@ctrauma) April 13, 2018
Seeing Vegas win it would send a shock wave through the NHL. First year team winning it all is a large middle finger to convention.
Johnson would trip and fall on the ice trying to hold the Cup, so that would be mildly funny.
Polak was a decent D-man in St. Louis, but I don’t want to see the Sharks take it all.
For me, it’s Backes and Boston. Behind my well-known love for Alexander Ovechkin, I’ve always had respect for the Bruins and Backes being there only sweetens the pot.
Unlike the MLB playoffs, the NHL playoffs are worth watching whether your team is in or not. Sure, the Blues opened up action against Minnesota a year ago yesterday, but I’m over it. Almost.
Thanks for reading. Throw a few ice cubes in that bourbon this spring.