The dateline for this column is not Boston. But the hope is that this column takes you to Boston. And me back to Boston — on this exact day, five years ago.
June 12, 2019.
The day the Blues won the Stanley Cup.
Yep, it’s been a half-decade since Game 7. And so, from my memories, columns, notes and iPhone photos and videos, here’s a recount of five stages from the indelible day, five years later:
Blues morning skate
It was so quiet, you could hear a puck drop. Inside the empty TD Garden in Boston, the visiting team from ºüÀêÊÓƵ took to the ice.
At 11:22 a.m., goalie Jordan Binnington, under his protective armor, skated near the boards and calmly began a movement routine — a short burst to his left, to his right, to his left again and quickly to his knees for a butterfly-style save. At this point, Binnington was a sports sensation. And there he was — in the “before†— with one more game to cement his legacy and cap off this improbable, Hollywood-script run.
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The Blues, of course, had the fewest points in early January. The rookie Binnington made his first start on Jan. 7 — and made magic all the way into June.
Surrounded by thousands of yellow seatbacks, the few Blues beat writers watched the morning skate and looked for the makeup of each line. I found it a bit surreal — all year (and every year), these guys sit at morning skate and figure out the coach’s four lines to then tweet out to fans. At home vs. Ottawa in November. At Columbus in February. Every game, same routine. But on this day, these would be the lines for the biggest game in ºüÀêÊÓƵ Blues history.
After morning skate, microphones surrounded Blues players for interviews in a cramped hallway. Patrick Maroon, the ºüÀêÊÓƵ kid and ºüÀêÊÓƵ forward, said: “We can’t talk about it anymore — we just have to go out there and play hockey. And enjoy the moment. There are not a lot of opportunities that players will be in this situation. ...
“Both teams will have nerves. It’s the biggest stage. Game 7.â€
Lunch in ‘Little Italy’
In Boston’s North End, seven nights prior, I was walking the dark, narrow streets of this historic Italian neighborhood when I thought I heard it.
Nah. Couldn’t be.
But as I neared one particular restaurant, I indeed identified the sound.
It was
Why was a Boston restaurant blaring the Blues’ unofficial 2019 anthem?
I peeked in and saw Blues legend Bernie Federko, the Hockey Hall of Fame player, holding court at a long table. He had talked the restaurant owner into playing the song. And Bernie had this great grin across his famous face. One of my favorite memories of the Cup run.
A week later, I had lunch at the North End’s Trattoria Il Panino. And then — how could I not? — stopped at a bakery for a cannoli. As I headed back toward TD Garden, of all the millions of people within this major American city, I spotted Maroon’s parents.
And as we chatted about Italian food, I recall thinking: Can you believe what these people might experience tonight?
The game
ºüÀêÊÓƵans will talk about this one in 3019.
The Bruins peppered Binnington early. It was just a matter of time before the home team would score, right? But the kid stood on his head. Soon, Ryan O’Reilly deflected a shot for the Blues’ first goal. And with 7.9 seconds left in the first period, captain Alex Pietrangelo’s backhand beauty made it 2-0.
That was the score in the third period, too. And with 11:09 left, Boston’s Joakim Nordstrom took a pointblank shot. Binnington stopped it, but it went right back to Nordstrom. Binnington, falling forward, somehow still kicked out his right leg far enough to block the shot off the rebound. This should be the statue.
Less than three minutes later, Vladimir Tarasenko’s pristine pass set up Brayden Schenn for ºüÀêÊÓƵ’ third goal.
Zach Sanford, a Boston native, scored ºüÀêÊÓƵ’ fourth goal.
The Blues led 4-1 as the impossible dream became a reality. Became history. 00:00. There was no next step.
The players speed-skated toward Binnington, while throwing equipment in the air along the way — hockey’s confetti.
In the TD Garden stands, Blues fan Brent Pearson, a ºüÀêÊÓƵ schoolteacher, had a sign written in Blues colors that read: “WE WANT THE CUP.â€
Pearson brought a marker to the game — you know, just in case.
He drew an X over the word “WANT†and wrote the word “GOT.â€
Down on the ice
Before the Blues headed to the locker room to drink some drinks — and drink out of the biggest cup they would ever drink from — they celebrated on the Boston ice. It was, quite simply, the coolest scene I’d ever seen.
Sweat-drenched players embraced their families and children and friends in this swirling tornado of joy. Binnington had his father lift the Stanley Cup. Others kissed it. Colton Parayko helped young Laila Anderson raise the Cup. Federko was in the building. And the late Bobby Plager.
From the ice, hoping not to slip, reporters asked players to explain the inexplicable.
A crying Maroon’s voice cracked as he said: “We did it! There’s nothing else. ... We put everything on the line from Jan. 3 on. And we deserve this.â€
Sure enough, I spotted Maroon’s parents, yet again.
“The fans of ºüÀêÊÓƵ, I’m so happy for them,†Phil Maroon, Pat’s father, said. “My dad was a season ticket holder from the inception. From 1967 until the day he passed away in 2004. I remember going to all those games with my boys. My dad had two tickets and I’d buy two obstructed view tickets for like $10, go down to his seats, put two boys in one seat and put Patrick on my lap in the other.
“To see this now? Unbelievable. And all the near misses in the past. And now we’re here.â€
The airport
Southwest Airlines Flight 2083 to ºüÀêÊÓƵ was scheduled to depart Boston Logan International Airport at 6:10 a.m. As June 12 spilled into June 13, Blues fans spilled through security and soon spoke of their celebratory nights in hoarse voices. At the airport, I spotted Pearson, whom I had previously met. He had his bag and his sign.
“The night we won the Cup was the night that never ended,†Pearson said Tuesday. “… No one booked a hotel; we all just booked early morning flights the next day. ... The airport was a scene from a dream. Blues fans were still wearing their Game 7 attire, stretched out in airport chairs trying to sleep, but as the early morning went on, more and more fans showed up, so it was hard to sleep. So much adrenaline pumping. ...
“Getting off the plane in ºüÀêÊÓƵ was the coolest part. Other passengers boarding outbound flights were just staring and cheering for us as we got off the flight.â€
Five years.
Can you believe it’s been that long?
And can you believe it actually happened in the first place?