A deep run in the playoffs bonds players together, when it comes to an end it can be very emotional. The St. Louis Blues were no different after their Round 3 exit at the hands of the San Jose Sharks. Wednesday night was a tough end to a very impressive 2015-16 season. With a ton of major injuries to big-name players, the Blues prevailed and stuck together as a team to take second place in the Western Conference.
A Tough Pill to Swallow
With a ton of major injuries to big-name players, the Blues prevailed and stuck together as a team to take second place in the Western Conference. Through the adversity, they battled their “Round 1 demons” and bested the Chicago Blackhawks, followed by the Dallas Stars, both in seven games.
Why do I bring all of this up? It just lends itself to showing that the Blues came together as a team. They grew as a team, as the young talent blended with the veterans and the role players stepped up with the top-end goal scorers.
It’s easy to see just how emotional the players are and how much they believed in this team, David Backes’ post-game scrum is a prime example of that:
Sacrifice. Backes is surely one of the many emotional players in that locker room at the end of the historic run. Steve Ott was a player who missed the majority of the season and saw limited minutes in the playoffs, yet here he is doing all he can to help get his captain out on the ice.
“They’re Really Hurting Right Now”
Ken Hitchcock is a coach who prefers not to mix his words. Whether it be a “between the benches” interview during a game or his pre and post-game scrums, he tells it like he sees it. In his post-game conference after the Game 6 loss to the Sharks, he had lots to say. It was obvious he was holding back his own emotions, giving the media just a taste of his disappointment. He touches on the team’s reaction, his own, and the bond they all made with the city of St. Louis:
Through the heartbreak and holding back tears, Hitchcock still shows how honest he is when asked if this loss and exit from the playoffs is the most disappointing one he’s had to deal with and what it feels like throughout the Blues’ dressing room:
It’s really disappointing… when you have a team like us, which is very much a team, you want to see them be successful… They’re hurting right now, we’re all hurting.
