The Blues are the Stanley Cup and NHL Champions. What was it like in Boston at and after the game? Ben Fred tells us all about it. At what point in the game did he think the Blues might have it? What did Ryan O’Reilly’s dad tell the media about him as a kid? Dan talks about his dad and his passion for the Blues. What would he have thought about the win? What does Dan remember about his dad’s love for the sport?
Ben Fred has had to learn about the game and the fan-base pretty quickly over the last few years. As a kid growing up in Sedalia, MO, he wasn’t accustomed to the Blues or hockey in general. He has learned that the fans are insanely loyal, edgy for good reason and that this win is so very sweet for them. Cathartic is the word Ben Fred used to describe this outcome for the Blues. He says the parade on Saturday will be amazing.
After the game on Wednesday, Ben Fred learned that Ryan O’Reilly was playing with cracked ribs. He also learned that ROR’s nickname was Snoot as a kid, meaning trouble-maker. It was that they chanted repeatedly while in a family embrace on the ice after the game. Ben also witnessed Tarasenko’s facetime from Yadier Molina. He said Tarasenko wants nothing to more than to win hockey games and be with his family. Bobby Plager played bartender and handed out Bud Lights to everyone who would let him. Pat Maroon scolded his brother about Cup etiquette.
Because the press sits next to The Black Aces, the players who don’t dress for the game, Ben Fred could tell when a big play was coming. He says those guys know the game so well that a buzz would start ahead of something notable. Ben tells about some of those names that may not have started a playoff game but contributed a ton to the team. He says Jake Allen stand out for one.
Pat Maroon became the team’s ambassador and lent a voice to the anti-Kroenke movement. Between the fans at Enterprise, at Busch, in Miami listening to Gloria at the Cardinals game and Phish covering Gloria over the weekends, it’s hard to believe that the Rams tried to argue that the fanbase in St. louis didn’t care. Ben Fred tells us why he thinks Maroon embraced his role on the team and why he will now be an STL legend.
So what’s next for Berube, Binnington and the team? Listen here:
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