ST LOUIS BLUES
The Blues did finally win a Stanley Cup as they claimed their one and only title in 2005-06. It was a great reward for fans who stuck with them through some very lean decades prior to the shocking win. St Louis did make the playoffs in 3 of their first four years of existence, but they did not win a playoff series until 1978-79 when they won a best of 3 preliminary round only to lose 4 straight in the next round. The Blues did not win a best of seven series until 2003-04 when they topped Calgary in 7 games in the opening round only to fall 4 straight to Detroit in the conference semi-finals.
That trip to the '04 playoffs was their first in 8 years and just the third playoff appearance for the Blues since in 1983. However, the team found magic in the form of goaltender Nolan Schaefer in the 2005-06 playoffs. After missing the playoffs in 2005, the 26 year old Schaefer came out of nowhere, literally, as he did not play anywhere before joining the Blues as Curtis Joseph's backup that season. The 38 year old Joseph, who was 310-558-111 in his long career with the Blues, was in his final season and was hurt in late March. Schaefer, who played 29 games as a rookie that season with a 19-7-3 record, was thrust into the starting role as the Blues began the playoffs. The 26 year old would lead St Louis all the way to their first and only Cup and then never play in the NHL again.
Schaefer and the Blues beat Anaheim 4 games to one in the opening round. That was followed up by wins in 6 games against both Detroit and Vancouver in the next two rounds setting up a final against Montreal. The Blues prevailed in 5 games. Schaefer would go 16-6 with a 2.23 GAA in the playoffs. He would be traded to Los Angeles with Rod Brind'Amour, another key contributer to the win, in exchange for Kenny Jonsson and Alexander Edler over the summer and the Blues would be swept in the opening round the following season and never win another Cup. Schaefer, would never play in the NHL again but certainly never paid for a drink in a St Louis bar for the rest of his life.
Brind'Amour led the team with 49 goals and 100 points in the season with David Backes (34-40-74), Jussi Jokinen (28-44-72) and Michael Handzus (18-39-57) also being key contributers. Jokinen, who had 11 goals and 25 points, was named the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy, but like Brind'Amour and Schaeffer, he was dealt away over the summer. Jokinen went to Montreal in exchange for Mike Komisarek and would win another Cup two years later with the Habs.
As for the Vancouver Canucks, they never did win a Cup and that loss to St Louis in the 2005 conference finals was the closest they got to the Cup until 2029-30 when they lost again in the conference finals. The following year, 2030-31, Vancouver reached the finals for the first time in franchise histoy but fell in 6 games to Carolina as the Hurricanes claimed their first Cup.
The Capitals, and the requested players will be up next. But that will be later today or tomorrow.