20 December 2020
On the {eighth|8th} day of Bluesmas, our {true|real} love {gave to|offered to|provided to} us– {a game|a video game} that {few|couple of} saw live {because|since|due to the fact that} the NHL {refused|declined} to {postpone|delay} it.
In today’s {era|age|period} of the pandemic, it’s {almost|practically|nearly} {hard|difficult|tough} to {imagine|picture|think of|envision} a time when things were not {shut down|closed down} or {postponed|delayed|held off}. The St. Louis Blues {worked in|operated in} {a very|an extremely|a really} {different|various} environment back in 1973.
For the {eighth|8th} day of Bluesmas, we {take a trip|travel} back 47 years. While the {game|video game} was {played on|used} December 19, 1973, {most of|the majority of} St. Louis did not {find out about|discover|learn about} it {until|up until|till} the day after.
By the time the puck dropped on the Blues {game|video game} {against|versus} the Los Angeles Kings, there was {an almost|a practically|a nearly} record-setting 12 inches of snow on the ground. Fans that {might|may} {live on|survive on|reside on} the east coast or up in Canada {might|may} {laugh at|make fun of} such a paltry {total|overall}, {but|however} St. Louis is {different|various}.
St. Louis {is in|remains in} that odd middle zone of {weather|weather condition}. We {don’t|do not} get enough cold and snow to {truly|really|genuinely} {know|understand} the {harshness|cruelty} of {winter|winter season}, {but|however} we get enough to {laugh at|make fun of} any city {further|even more} south that {tries|attempts} to {complain|grumble} about one ice storm every couple years.
This was {a big|a huge} storm for the {area|location}. {Though schools and some {businesses|companies|services|organizations} {shut down|closed down} if you sneeze and the {droplets|beads} freeze on the ground today, there were not as {many|numerous|lots of} closures {back then|at that time}.
| Schools and some {businesses|companies|services|organizations} shut down if you sneeze and the {droplets|beads} freeze on the ground today, there were not as {many|numerous|lots of} closures back then.
} For this storm, {just about|practically|almost} every school was closed and even the St. Louis Airport was {shut down|closed down}. {Roads|Roadways} were closed {as well|also|too}.
{So, it is {somewhat|rather} {miraculous|amazing|incredible} that {anyone|anybody} {showed up|appeared} to see {a professional|an expert} hockey {game|video game} at all.|It is {somewhat|rather} {miraculous|amazing|incredible} that {anyone|anybody} {showed|revealed} up to see {a professional|an expert} hockey {game|video game} at all.} {{But|However}, {because|since|due to the fact that} the NHL {refused|declined} to {postpone|delay|hold off} the {game|video game}, for {reasons|factors} {unknown|unidentified} to {anyone|anybody}, 4,115 {showed up|appeared} at the St. Louis Arena.
| {Because|Since|Due to the fact that} the NHL {refused|declined} to {postpone|delay|hold off} the {game|video game}, for {reasons|factors} {unknown|unidentified} to {anyone|anybody}, 4,115 {showed|revealed} up at the St. Louis Arena.
} The Post-Dispatch’s report on the {game|video game} did not {indicate|suggest|show} if there were {restrictions|limitations|constraints} {placed on|put on} concessions, such as one {item|product} per {person|individual}, {but|however} {everything|whatever} was {free|totally free|complimentary}. I can’t {say|state} I {might|may} not brave the {weather|weather condition} to see a hockey {game|video game} and {get free|secure free} food.
St. Louis did not have {a lot of|a great deal of} {jump|dive}, {since|because|considering that|given that} they {had|had actually} been sitting at the arena for as long s {three|3} hours. {Many|Numerous|Lots of} {had|had actually} been {told|informed} to leave their {homes|houses} early in case {roads|roadways} were that bad, {but|however} {many|numerous|lots of} made it in an hour’s {trip|journey}.
Personally, I like do see consistency for my franchise. {These days|Nowadays}, the Blues {sometimes|in some cases|often} {get off|leave} to {sluggish|slow} starts and rely {too much|excessive} on goaltending.
That was {exactly|precisely} the story in this {game|video game}, 47 years {ago|back|earlier}. Wayne Stephenson {had to|needed to} make {several|a number of|numerous} {big|huge} {saves|conserves} in the {first|very first} {period|duration}. {Though he was {only|just} {called upon|hired} to make 30 {saves|conserves} all {game|video game}, it was still {a good|a great|an excellent} win for him, coming off an injury.
| He was {only|just} called upon to make 30 {saves|conserves} all {game|video game}, it was still {a good|a great|an excellent} win for him, coming off an injury.
} {Though the Kings did {score|rating} {first|initially}, Stephenson shut them down the {rest of the|remainder of the} {game|video game}. | The Kings did {score|rating} {first|initially}, Stephenson shut them down the rest of the {game|video game}. } Garry Unger would {tie|connect} the contest with under a minute left in the {first|very first}.
The intermission, {as well as|in addition to|along with} Unger’s {goal|objective}, did the Blues {plenty of|lots of|a lot of} {good|great|excellent}. They took a 2-1 lead on a power play {goal|objective} from Larry Giroux.
St. Louis would get {an insurance|an insurance coverage} {goal|objective} {later on|in the future|later} and {pick up|get} a 3-1 win.
That was the {second|2nd} {game|video game} of a three-game win streak for the 1973-74 Blues. There were not a lot to follow.
That {game|video game} that so {few|couple of} saw live was the {team|group}’s 13th win. They would {finish|complete|end up} with {just|simply} 26 wins in a 78 {game|video game} season and {finish|complete|end up} a lowly {6th|sixth} in the West.
{{Nevertheless|Nonetheless|However}, this was a prime example of the Blues as they were for {so many|a lot of|many|numerous} years.|This was a prime example of the Blues as they were for so {many|numerous|lots of} years.} Such odd things would {happen|occur|take place}, {but|however} the {team|group} {usually|typically|normally|generally} {managed|handled} to turn it into {a positive|a favorable} {somehow|in some way}.
Why the league {refused|declined} to {postpone|delay|hold off} is {anyone|anybody}’s guess. As the postgame {article|short article|post} {pointed out|explained|mentioned}, rather {sarcastically|sardonically}, the NHL {had|had actually} {just|simply} {postponed|delayed|held off} {a game|a video game} {between|in between} the Chicago Blackhawks and California Seals the year prior {simply|just|merely} {because|since|due to the fact that} the Seals did not {want to|wish to} share the {parking lot|parking area|car park} with a World Series {game|video game} going on at Oakland Coliseum.
Such is life. The 4,115 fans that {showed up|appeared} got to see {a fun|an enjoyable} {game|video game} and have a memory for {a lifetime|a life time}. The rest {of us|people} {read about|checked out} it the next day, or through the {wonders|marvels} of the {internet|web} years later.Source: bleedinblue.com