After four hours of hockey, Pat Maroon had ended the night, sending a raucous crowd at Enterprise Center screaming, singing, and honking in elation on their way home.
A Tyler Bozak face-off win, followed by a Robert Thomas charge to the net, set up the Maroon goal. It was vintage "Big Rig" work around the net, cleaning up a plate the goaltender forgot to put in the dishwasher. According to the Oakville native, it's a play they practice endlessly, where a center wins the draw, dishing to the wingers to finish up the play around the net. On Tuesday night, it helped send the St. Louis Blues to the Western Conference playoffs.
After the game, there was an embrace between Maroon and head coach, Craig Berube, that was just great.
Two big tough guys sharing a special moment after such a long journey. When I saw it, I couldn't help but think about the perilous season for the two men.
Berube, a former NHL veteran of 17 seasons, started out the season as Mike Yeo's assistant before taking over the job in November. He got a head coaching shot in Philadelphia, but wasn't given more than a season. Sometimes, when you lose the big job and pick up an assistant gig, it's hard to get back to the top.
Maroon signed with the Blues in the offseason, taking less years and money to finally come home and play in his hometown.
After missing the majority of the past nine seasons playing around the United States and Canada, Maroon gambled on a one year deal. Three months into the season, his chips were almost gone.
Maroon's sub-par play had everyone in St. Louis wondering if the homecoming had been a mistake. Then, things started to change.
He started scoring, clicking on a line with Bozak and Thomas, who is just 19 years old but plays like he's a veteran All Star. Maroon ended the season with ten goals and modest numbers all around, earning the respect of even the most skeptical Blues fans who thought the team made a wrong move in bringing him here.
While I didn't write Maroon off, doggedly remaining one of his most stubborn supporters during the most turbulent of times, I didn't think he'd finish the season here.
The same can be said for Berube. When Joel Quenneville was fired by the Chicago Blackhawks, I campaigned for the Blues to bring him in midseason or this summer. Now, there's nobody I'd like for the job but Berube.
Sometimes, hockey has a way of smacking you in the face, reminding a viewer that they haven't seen it all. Tuesday was a firm example of the surrealism of this idea. The spectacle of a Game 7 double-overtime win has a ton of stories. The biggest one I took away was Berube and Maroon. Two nobodies in November becoming two legends in May. That's not a shot at them, but did you see them making a big impact seven months ago? If you did, head to the casino, and pay my mortgage with your winnings.
The big goal and win may have extended each man's time in St. Louis. If a Berube extension was ever in doubt before, it's been set in stone now. If Maroon was heading to free agency before the playoffs, you can scrap that idea now. He's staying, and for good reason. He is a flexible asset who gives a team a variety of unique skills and for not a lot of money.
In one embrace, I saw the Blues courageously resilient season flash before my eyes. The team isn't done yet, but man have there been some great times.
Let's keep going. As Jon Hamm said after the game, win four more games, and then four more after that.
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