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The St Louis Blues finally won their first championship in 2019 after decades of close calls. Great players from Brett Hull to Ryan O'Reilly have led these teams on deep playoff runs.
Where do the original Blues teams that reached the Stanley Cup Final land? And how do the 2010s teams that faltered in the playoffs rank amongst them?
Greatest Blues team of all time: 2018-19
The greatest season in Blues history is an easy choice. The '18-'19 season started horribly, with a 7-9-3 record that forced the firing of coach Mike Yeo. Craig Berube took over and turned the team around. They won 11 straight games in January and February to fly out of last place and into the playoffs. They then won eight of their last ten games to enter the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the league.
The Blues started with a six-game victory over the Winnipeg Jets. They faced a game seven in the second round and prevailed in double overtime against the Stars. A dramatic series against the Sharks saw them win the conference for the first time since 1970. They won an epic game seven against the Bruins to win the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. O'Reilly won the Conn Smythe for playoff MVP and the Selke Trophy for best defensive forward in the regular season.
#2: 2015-16
The 2010s were full of great regular seasons that flopped in the playoffs. The best playoff finish in those seasons was in 2015-16. The 107-point regular season placed them second in the Central Division. They were led by Vladimir Tarasenko, who scored 40 goals and 74 points.
These Blues failures were made even worse by seeing the Blackhawks win three titles in six seasons. They had a chance to knock off their biggest rival in 2016 and they took it, winning game seven in the first round. Another game-seven win knocked the Stars out in the second round to get to the Conference Final for the first time in 15 years. The Sharks took down the Blues to advance to the Cup Final.
#3: 2000-01
The Blues had a solid year in '99-'00, which featured a Hart Trophy win as the league's most valuable player for defenseman Chris Pronger. They came into '00-'01 as one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup and backed it up in the regular season. A 103-point season placed them second in their division. Pierre Turgeon led the team in assists and points while Scott Young scored 40 goals.
The playoffs began with a series against the San Jose Sharks. The Blues won gave five in overtime and nabbed game six to advance. They swept the Stars in the second round, winning game three in double overtime and game four 4-1 to take the series. The Blues lost to the Avalanche in the Conference Final, ending the run in five games.
#4: 1968-69
The Blues went to three straight Cup Finals to start their history. The second one was the best season of the three, with 88 points from 76 games in the regular season. They won the West Division, which featured the six newest teams, with a point total that would have placed them fourth in the East. Red Berenson led the team with 35 goals, 47 assists, and 82 points.
The Blues rolled through the first two rounds of the playoffs. They swept the Flyers in the first round with no one-goal games. They went on to face the Kings and once again pulled off the sweep. While none of these teams were particularly good, it was still a dominant run. The Canadiens swept the Blues in the Cup Final.
#5: 1969-70
The following season, the Blues put up a comparable regular season. With 86 points, they won the division once again. This time, five East Division teams put up more points than the Blues. Berenson led the team in goals with 33 while Phil Goyette had the most assists and points with 49 and 78 respectively.
A first-round series against the Minnesota North Stars ended with the Blues winning in six games. Another six-game victory against the Penguins them back to the Cup Final. Another sweep, this time at the hands of the Bruins, ended the season and prevented the Blues from winning the title.
#6: 1967-68
The first season after NHL expansion featured some of the worst playoff teams in league history. That included the Blues, who finished with 70 points, good enough for third place in the expansion-filled West Division. Berenson led the team with 22 goals and 51 points despite only playing 55 regular season games.
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They beat the division-winning Flyers in game seven in the first round and faced the North Stars in the second round. Another game-seven victory pushed them to the first Cup Final. Another sweep at the hands of the Canadiens ended the season. All four games of the series were one-goal affairs, including two overtime games.
#7: 1985-86
The Blues entered the '85-'86 season having made the playoffs for six straight seasons but never made it out of the second round. They finished third in the Norris Division in this season, just slightly behind the North Stars and Black Hawks. Bernie Federko was the lone 100-point player on the team, with 68 assists and 102 points.
The Blues faced the North Stars in the first round, winning a decisive game five to advance. They played another win-or-go-home game in the second round, beating the Maple Leafs 2-1. The luck ran out for the Blues in the Conference Final as the Flames won that game seven to advance to the Cup Final.
#8: 1980-81
Despite making the playoffs in nine of their first 12 seasons, the Blues had never had a 100-point season coming into 1980-81. They came into that season having lost in the playoffs the year before and looking for another deep run. Bernie Federko scored 31 goals and 104 points to lead the second-best offense in the league. The Blues won the Smythe Division with 107 points.
They faced the Penguins in the first round and faced a decisive game five. The Blues won that game in double overtime to advance to the second round. They faced the Rangers in the second round and lost in six games. Great regular seasons with losses before the Conference Final became a staple in Blues history
#9: 1999-00
The best regular season in Blues' history was the 1999-00 season. Their 114 points won them their lone President's Trophy for the top record in the league. Chris Pronger won the Norris Trophy for top defenseman and the Hart Trophy for Most Valuable Player. They scored the third-most goals in the league and allowed the fewest in the regular season.
They lost in the first round to the Sharks to end this fantastic season. The game-seven loss at home was a heartbreaker, as the Blues won games five and six to force the final game.
#10: 2021-22
After getting over the hump, many thought that the Blues were done wasting great seasons with poor playoff performances. They put together one of their best seasons in '21-'22 with 109 points. Ville Husso came out of nowhere to post a .919 save percentage in relief of Jordan Binnington and Tarasenko led the team with 82 points.
After winning their first-round series against the Wild, the Blues were given the tough task of the Avalanche. They lost in six games to the eventual champions, ending the season. It is the most recent season where the Blues made it to the second round.
