Today is not January 23, 1944. But it may as well be, for Dallas Stars fans.
On that date, the New York Rangers suffered the worst loss in NHL history, losing 15-0 to the Detroit Red Wings. Yes, 15-0. That would be a major goal differential to an analytics person today, however, I’m fairly certain they didn’t use those terms then; I believe the term back then was a good old-fashioned beatdown.
Today, the St. Louis Blues won game 7 of the Western Conference Second Round, 6-1. This isn’t close to that 15 goal loss, still it has to feel every bit as painful for the Stars.
The Blues are seeking their first Stanley Cup berth in their 49-year history. They came out aggressive against the home team, scoring 3 goals in the first period. They never looked back. Dallas pulled their goalie, Kari Lehtonen, beginning with the second period. That strategy proved ineffective, as St. Louis scored three more goals on replacement goalie Antti Niemi.
St. Louis has reached their first Conference Finals since 2001. They will have home – ice versus either San Jose or Nashville, no matter the opponent. As for the Stars, their offseason begins on a sour note.
See what I did there ? Okay, I’ll stop now.
