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Charlie Mager | LUTV
April 13, 2016, 8:00 p.m.
The St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks are battling each other in their 10th encounter in Stanley Cup playoff history.
Photo by Charlie Mager
Knowing that his team is going up against the defending Stanley Cup champions, 25-year old Will Thompson of St. Louis, was skeptical about their team’s recent postseason failures and what is needed to get past the Blackhawks.
“It’s got to be goal tending. It all starts there. You know in the playoffs you need a strong goaltender, because that’s where it starts and that’s where it ends,” Thompson said. “I think Brian Elliot (Blues goalie) is our guy, we’re going to lean on him hard, and hopefully play some good defense in front of him.”
Joshua Darosh, who has followed the Blackhawks his entire life, is leaning on the great leadership that has helped propel his team to the top of the hockey world three of the last six years when asked what’s needed to beat the Blues.
“I think it’s really the leadership,” Darosh said. “This team has been here before, they’ve done it before right, and having gone through all those motions allows you that confidence to come back here even though you struggled at the end of the season.”
Photo by Charlie Mager
While the Blackhawks were on a downward spiral towards the end of the season, the Blues won eight of their last 10 games, and lifelong Blues fan Steven Rogers, stresses the importance of maintaining that momentum through the first round.
“Winning the first game is going to set the tone for the rest of the series. It’s actually probably one of the closest times we’ve had in the last 10 years or so that I’ve been waiting on them to win the cup,” Rogers said. It’s now or never!”
The Blues currently hold a series lead of 3 games to 1, and will host Game 5 at the Scottrade Center on Thursday night. If necessary, Game 6 will be in Chicago on Saturday night.
