St. Louis Game Time - 1997 Stanley Cup Playoffs: STL VS DETWe're one ugly bastard.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/10753/gt-fave.png2014-08-07T18:00:02-05:00http://www.stlouisgametime.com/rss/stream/57418902014-08-07T18:00:02-05:002014-08-07T18:00:02-05:00April 16, 1997: STL VS DET Game Day Thread
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<img alt="If it Fits it sitz. On your head. Douche. " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QfpBKnKsKnOQEt0_u4H7Wy4WqIo=/0x20:480x340/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/36613190/0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>If it Fits it sitz. On your head. Douche. </figcaption>
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<p>Tonight your clearly color blind St. Louis Blues take on the Detroit Red Wings in the first game of the 1996-1997 Stanley Cup Playoffs! </p> <p>Tonight we disband our use of the color red. Tonight it becomes the color of hate. Well, it was already the color of hate, but now it is even more hate; it represents Deadthings hate. It's the first game of the first round and though our hearts rode an emotional roller coaster equivalent to that of a small child headed to school who then finds out they are going to Disneyland for the day. It's the NHL Playoffs, baby! Who"s ready? I am ready.</p>
<p>Grab a case of beer, adjust those rabbit ears and turn the dial to ESPN 2 for full coverage of tonight's game.</p>
<p>Puck drops at 6:30 St. Louis time.</p>
<p>Stick around after the game for a recap of tonight's festivities.</p>
<p>This is your 1996-1997 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs GDT!</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img alt="back to the future" src="http://38.media.tumblr.com/6d7e335838478954ba43a46429c4cd40/tumblr_n1sx4w2fr31qkwe6ao1_500.gif"></p>
https://www.stlouisgametime.com/2014/8/7/5977795/april-16-1997-st-louis-blues-detriot-red-wings-game-day-threadRealBadRobot2014-08-07T13:09:31-05:002014-08-07T13:09:31-05:00Throwback Thursday: Blues @ Wings 1997 WCQF game 1
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<img alt="We'll likely see some heated battles like this again. Bring it! " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tt4z6S3BnCz5kcZ5hcmHvo5b-r8=/0x0:480x320/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/36638336/hqdefault.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>We'll likely see some heated battles like this again. Bring it! </figcaption>
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<p>The Blues begin their quest for the 1997 Stanley Cup against a familiar foe. </p> <p>Didn't we just see these guys? I feel like we just saw these guys, like, three days ago.</p>
<p><i>[In fact we had - the <a href="https://www.stlouisgametime.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Blues</a> beat the Wings in their last regular season game of 1997 just 3 days ealier by the score of 3-1. Although the Wings had nothing to play for, the Blues had an outside chance to move up to the 4 seed and get home ice in the first round. That didn't happen, as the <a href="https://www.anaheimcalling.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Mighty Ducks</a> finished 4th and the <a href="https://www.fiveforhowling.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Coyotes</a> won the tie-breaker to force the Blues into the 3-6 rematch with Detroit. </i></p>
<p><i>Oh, and by the way - for our Throwback Previews and the like, we'll be writing from the perspective of the time - as if they were SLGT posts that day. Anything written in italics - like this - is an aside, either to explain things out of character, to give some historical tidbits that wouldn't have been known at the time, or to just for your usual run-of-the-mill hack jokes. I encourage you guys to play along in the comments of these posts by sticking "in character" unless in italics...but this is also America, so I'm not your boss.]</i></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Never mind that game. A win is nice, but does it matter any more? No. That <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D5PtyrewSs">Long December</a> with the 1-6-2 stretch? Nope. Nick Kypreos taking out Fuhrer's knee? Last year, doesn't matter now.</p>
<p>Actually, let's talk about last year. In the 2nd round, the Blues streaked through games 3, 4, and 5 against the Wings to nab a 3-2 series lead. They even had a chance to knock out the Dead Things on home ice in game 6 and make the conference finals for the first time in 10 years. That didn't happen, setting up a game 7 at the Joe.</p>
<p>And I'm not talking about that game.</p>
<p>A lot has changed in the past year. <strike>"Iron"</strike> "Scrap Metal" Mike Keenan was sent packing, thank god. The Great One hated Mike so much he couldn't wait to take less money to play in Manhattan, presumably as that was the only way he could get tickets to see <em>Rent</em>. Hullie's still pissed about something, probably. And now we're lead by first time head coach Joel Quenneville, who makes up for his lack of experience with a very aggressive mustache game. Oh, and remember our old friend <span>Brendan Shanahan</span>? Yeah, he got shipped from the Hartford Whalers to Detroit. Mike Keenan - the gift that keeps on giving. <em>[Hey, a Whalers mention!]</em></p>
<p>One thing hasn't changed though - neither the Blues nor the Wings have won the Cup in the Expansion Era. So both teams are looking to prove they can compete with the big boys. <em>[...sigh...those were the days, weren't they?]</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p align="center"><strong>1996-97 ST. LOUIS BLUES SEASON REVIEW:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>
<div align="left">36-35-11; 83 points - 6th seed in Western Conference (4th in central)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div align="left">236 goals scored, 239 goals allowed</div>
</li>
<li>
<div align="left">Power play: 15.3% (16th in league)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div align="left">Penalty Kill: 83.4% (15th in league)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div align="left">Head coach: Joel Quenneville (1st year, 18-15-7)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div align="left">Captain: none <em>[After striping Hull of the captaincy the year before, Keenan couldn't give it back, could he? So after Gretzky left, the captaincy was left open until Quenneville would give the 'C' to <span>Chris Pronger</span> that summer.]</em>
</div>
</li>
<li>
<div align="left">Leading scorer: Brett Hull (42 goals, 40 assists, 82 points in 77 games)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div align="left">+/- leader: Chris Pronger (+15) <em>[Hey, we all would've thought that meant a lot back then, right?]</em>
</div>
</li>
<li>
<div align="left">Starting goalie: Grant Fuhr (73 games played, 33-27-11, .901 sv%, 2.72 GAA)</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p align="left"><strong>BLUES PLAYOFF ROSTER:</strong></p>
<p align="left">Marc Bergevin, defenseman</p>
<p align="left">Jim Campbell, right winger</p>
<p align="left"><span>Craig Conroy</span>, center</p>
<p align="left">Geoff Courtnall, left winger</p>
<p align="left"><span>Pavol Demitra</span>, right winger</p>
<p align="left">Brett Hull, right winger</p>
<p align="left">Igor Kravchuk, defenseman</p>
<p align="left">Stephen Leach, right winger</p>
<p align="left">Al MacInnis, defenseman</p>
<p align="left">Craig MacTavish, center</p>
<p align="left">Stephane Matteau, left winger</p>
<p align="left">Chris McAlpine, defenseman</p>
<p align="left">Sergio Momesso, left winger</p>
<p align="left">Joe Murphy, right winger</p>
<p align="left">Scott Pellerin, left winger</p>
<p align="left">Mike Peluso, right winger</p>
<p align="left">Ricard Persson, defenseman</p>
<p align="left">Robert Petrovicky, center</p>
<p align="left">Chris Pronger, defenseman</p>
<p align="left">Pierre Turgeon, center</p>
<p align="left">Tony Twist, left winger</p>
<p align="left">Harry York, center</p>
<p align="left"> </p>
<p align="left">Grant Fuhr, goalie</p>
<p align="left">Jon Casey, goalie</p>
<p align="left"> </p>
<p align="left"> </p>
<p align="center"><strong>1996-97 DETROIT RED WINGS SEASON REVIEW:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>
<div align="left">38-26-18; 94 points - 3rd seed in Western Conference (2nd in central division)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div align="left">253 goals scored, 197 goals allowed</div>
</li>
<li>
<div align="left">Power play: 17.9% (7th in league)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div align="left">Penalty kill: 86.7% (4th in league)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div align="left">Head coach: Scotty Bowman (25th year, 951-460-263)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div align="left">Catpain: Steve Yzerman (22 goal, 63 assists, 85 points in 81 games)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div align="left">Leading scorer: Brendan Shanahan (46 goals, 41 assists, 87 points in 79 games)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div align="left">+/- leader: Vladimir Konstantinov (+38)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div align="left">Goalies: <span>Chris Osgood</span> (47 games, 23-13-9, .910 sv%, 2.30 GAA); Mike Vernon (33 games, 13-11-8, .899 sv%, 2.43 GAA) The veteran Mike Vernon will likely get the nod in the playoffs.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p align="left"><strong>RED WINGS PLAYOFF ROSTER:</strong></p>
<p align="left">Doug Brown, left winger</p>
<p align="left"><span>Kris Draper</span>, center</p>
<p align="left">Sergei Federov, center</p>
<p align="left">Viacheslav Fetisov, defenseman</p>
<p align="left"><span>Tomas Holmstrom</span>, left winger</p>
<p align="left">Joe Kocur, right winger</p>
<p align="left">Vladimir Konstantinov, defenseman</p>
<p align="left"><span>Vyacheslav Kozlov</span>, center</p>
<p align="left">Martin Lapointe, right winger</p>
<p align="left">Igor Larionov, center</p>
<p align="left"><span>Nicklas Lidstrom</span>, defenseman</p>
<p align="left"><span>Kirk Maltby</span>, left winger</p>
<p align="left"><span>Darren McCarty</span>, right winger</p>
<p align="left">Larry Murphy, defenseman</p>
<p align="left">Jamie Pushor, defenseman</p>
<p align="left">Bob Rouse, defenseman</p>
<p align="left">Tomas Sandstrom, right winger</p>
<p align="left">Brendan Shanahan, left winger</p>
<p align="left">Tim Taylor, center <em>[You're kidding me, right? Detroit native Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor played for the 1997 <a href="https://www.wingingitinmotown.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Red Wings</a>? I don't remember that season of Home Improvement.]</em></p>
<p align="left"><span>Aaron Ward</span>, defenseman</p>
<p align="left">Steve Yzerman, center</p>
<p align="left"> </p>
<p align="left">It's been a pretty average season - but it doesn't have to be an average postseason! Check back tonight for the GDT just before the puck drops!</p>
<p align="left"><em>[We'll be streaming the game on NHL Gamecenter at 7:00 pm central time tonight. If you don't have Gamecenter, we may...have some "alternative sources" In the game day thread, if you catch me.]</em></p>
<p align="left">Let's go Blues! And you know what? ...</p>
<p align="left">...</p>
<p align="left">...</p>
<p align="left">...</p>
<p align="left">...fuck Detroit.</p>
<p align="left"> </p>
<p align="left"><em><strong>EDIT: </strong>All stats and roster information courtesy of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/STL/1997.html">Hockey-Reference.com</a>. </em></p>
https://www.stlouisgametime.com/2014/8/7/5977209/throwback-thursday-game-preview-1997-blues-at-detroit-red-wings-nhl-playoffs-stanley-cupJ-Mill