Expansion Six vs. Original Six: Both Blues and Blackhawks Have One Goal

The St. Louis Blues’ biggest rival is the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blues entered the NHL through the 1967 expansion, while the Blackhawks were one of the first six NHL teams.

The Blues’ and Blackhawks’ hatred of each other goes way back, and their rivalry exploded 30 years ago. On St. Patrick’s Day 1991, St. Louis and Chicago fought tooth and nail for the President’s Trophy and faced off in a Norris Division game that would forever change the cold-blooded rivalry. The heated game was later dubbed as the “St. Patrick’s Day Massacre” as it should be. Twelve players were ejected, 278 penalty minutes were served, and three players were eventually suspended for their roles in the hard-hitting fight.

The St. Patrick’s Day Massacre was arguably one of the most notable moments in the rivalry’s history. Props to you if you watched it in person or on live television.

I wasn’t even born yet, but I had nostalgic feelings when I watched it on YouTube. Here’s the video if you want to watch it for the first time or all over again. Disclaimer: It’s not for the faint of heart.

Since then, St. Louis and Chicago continued to fight in bitter battles.

While both fanbases will likely never see another St. Patrick’s Day Massacre, the animosity between the two teams has always remained intact.

Remember when Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook laid a dangerous hit on Blues captain David Backes in Game 2 of the 2014 Western Conference First Round? It led to a three-game suspension for Seabrook and subsequently sparked a league-wide uproar over Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith, who taunted an injured Backes, shouting “Wakey, Wakey, Backes!”

The Blackhawks went on to win the series in six games. The Blues struck first for a 1-0 lead, but the Blackhawks poured in five goals — four unanswered in the third period — for a 5-1 victory in Game 6.

As of today, St. Louis and Chicago have met 382 times. The Blackhawks lead in the all-time series (187-149-35-11), regular season series (152-121-35-11), postseason results (35-28), and longest win streak (7). The Blues lead in the current win streak (4).

Although the Blues and Blackhawks aren’t in the same division due to COVID-19, the rivalry remains strong. It’s not slowing down anytime soon.