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Patrick Maroon sends the St. Louis Blues to the Western Conference Final

By Griffin Youngs

ST. LOUIS, MO - MAY 7: Pat Maroon #7 of the St. Louis Blues celebrates after scoring the game-winning goal in double overtime in Game Seven of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Enterprise Center on May 7, 2019 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO - MAY 7: Pat Maroon #7 of the St. Louis Blues celebrates after scoring the game-winning goal in double overtime in Game Seven of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Enterprise Center on May 7, 2019 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /
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After a pulse pounding Game 7 double OT between the St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars, hometown hero Patrick Maroon sent the Blues to the Western Conference Final.

Remember those times as a kid when you would dream about being the hero for your local team?St. Louis Blues forward Patrick Maroon did the same thing as everybody else when he was younger, dreaming of playing for his hometown St. Louis Blues and eventually being the hero. This summer, Maroon got his chance to live out a dream when he signed a one-year contract with the Blues

In double overtime of Game 7 in the Blues second round series against the Dallas Stars, Maroon had the culmination of a childhood dream fall right in front of him, and the result was sweeter was then he ever could’ve imagined.

Maroon potted the overtime winner at 5:50 of the second overtime of a rebound of a Robert Thomas shot to send the Blues to their second Western Conference Final in the last four years, and their third conference final since 2000.

For Maroon, the moment he’ll likely never forget is trying to find his 10-year-old son Anthony in the crowd, and seeing his son crying at seeing his dad score the overtime winner for his hometown team.

At the other end, St. Louis native Ben Bishop gave everything he had for the Dallas Stars, making an astounding 52 saves on 54 shots, but it was ultimately was not enough to disappoint his childhood team. The Stars surprising playoff run ends with them going out on their shied, and there’s plenty to be proud of for a team that wasn’t given a chance to make any kind of noise when the season began.

With their double overtime win, the Blues will await the winner of the San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche Game 7 on Wednesday night. Because of the Eastern Conference Final starting on Thursday, Game 1 of the Western Conference Final will likely take place on Friday. If the Sharks win Game 7, the Blues will start on the road. If the Avalanche win, the Blues will host the Conference Final.

The Blues will have an ax to grind with whomever their opponent is. In their last Conference Final appearance in 2016, the Blues were eliminated in six games by the Sharks, ending their longest playoff run since 1970. Last season, the Avalanche defeated the Blues in a win or go home game 82 to get into the playoffs, ending the Blues season before the playoff even began.

Next. The Pittsburgh Penguins are gearing up to make a massive mistake. dark

Either way, the Blues will look to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1970 and eventually win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Considering the Blues were in dead last in the NHL on Jan. 3, the fact that they are even in the playoffs is remarkable, and now they’re halfway to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

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