2000-2001 St. Louis Blues: OT Thrillers

2000-2001 St. Louis Blues: OT Thrillers

2000-2001 St. Louis Blues: Overtime Thrillers

The St. Louis Blues have a decorated history in the National Hockey League, one that tells the story of going deep into postseason play in the most subtle ways. The 2000-2001 St. Louis Blues season wasn’t loaded with star power, but this squad had a talented group of players who were consistent at what they did best.

Regular Season Overview

In the 2000-2001 St. Louis Blues season, the team went 43-22-12-5 with 103 points, finishing in 2nd place in the Central Division, 8 points behind the Detroit Red Wings. The Blues were consistently good in head-to-head play as they went 4-0 against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, 4-1 against the Chicago Blackhawks, 3-0-1 against the Minnesota Wild, 3-2 against the Nashville Predators, 2-0-1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames, 2-1 against the San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks, 2-1-1 against the Los Angeles Kings, 2-1-2 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, 2-2 against the Phoenix Coyotes, and 1-0-2 against the Dallas Stars.

The St. Louis Blues often found themselves in the middle of overtime thrillers, playing in 23 games that went to overtime in the regular season. In these games, the Blues went 6-5-12. The Blues also pulled off an impressive 8-game winning streak, which began with a 4-0 shutout victory over the Nashville Predators on November 24 and ended on December 15 with a 6-3 win over the Atlanta Thrashers.

Offensive Firepower

Right winger Scott Young had 40 goals and 33 assists for 73 points with 14 power play goals, 16 power play assists, 3 short-handed goals, and 7 game-winning goals off 321 shots. Center Pierre Turgeon had 30 goals and 52 assists for 82 points with 11 power play goals, 20 power play assists, and 6 game-winning goals off 171 shots. Right winger Pavol Demitra had 20 goals and 25 assists for 45 points with 5 power play goals, 6 power play assists, and 5 game-winning goals off 124 shots. Left winger Jochen Hecht had 19 goals and 25 assists for 44 points with 8 power play goals, 7 power play assists, and 3 short-handed goals off 208 shots.

Defenseman Al MacInnis had 12 goals and 42 assists for 54 points with 6 power play goals, 29 power play assists, and 3 game-winning goals off 218 shots. Left winger Dallas Drake had 12 goals and 29 assists for 41 points with 9 power play assists and 3 game-winning goals off 142 shots. Center Craig Conroy had 11 goals and 14 assists with 3 short-handed goals off 101 shots. Center Michal Handzus had 10 goals and 14 assists with 3 power play goals, 2 short-handed goals, and 2 game-winning goals in 36 games. Center Daniel Corso had 10 goals and 5 power play goals in 29 games. Defenseman Chris Pronger, the team’s captain, had 8 goals and 39 assists for 47 points with 23 power play assists off 121 shots.

Blues Goaltending

The Blues had two reliable goaltenders throughout the season. Roman Turek went 24-8-10 (ties and overtime losses combined), allowing 123 goals off 1248 shots in 3232 minutes, recording 1125 saves, a .901 save percentage, a 2.28 goals against average, and 6 shutouts. Brent Johnson went 19-9-2, allowing 63 goals off 676 shots in 1744 minutes, recording 613 saves, a .907 save percentage, a 2.17 goals against average, and 4 shutouts.

2001 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Western Conference Quarterfinals: Blues vs. Sharks

The Western Conference Quarterfinals was a tough battle between the Blues and the San Jose Sharks. In Game 1 on April 12 at the Savvis Center in St. Louis, the Blues beat the Sharks 3-1. Center Patrick Marleau had 1 goal for San Jose while Al MacInnis, Pierre Turgeon, and Scott Young all scored 1 goal each. In Game 2 on April 14, the Sharks shut out the Blues 1-0. Left winger Scott Thornton scored the only goal of the game. In Game 3 on April 6 at the San Jose Arena, the Blues won 6-3. Along with Thornton, center Vincent Damphousse and right winger Tony Granato all scored 1 goal each. For the Blues, Dallas Drake scored 2 goals while right winger Scott Mellanby and left winger Cory Stillman each scored 1 goal along with Turgeon. MacInnis had 2 assists.

In Game 4 on April 17 at the San Jose Arena, the Sharks won 3-2. Drake and left winger Keith Tkachuk both scored 1 goal for St. Louis. Along with Damphousse and Thornton, right winger Owen Nolan scored 1 goal, which was the game-winning goal. In Game 5 on April 19 at the Savvis Center, the Blues won 3-2 in overtime. Marleau and left winger Stephane Matteau both scored 1 goal for San Jose while Drake, Young, and defenseman Bryce Salvador all scored 1 goal each for the Blues. Salvador had the game-winning goal. Finally, in Game 6 on April 21 at the San Jose Arena, the Blues eliminated the Sharks with a 2-1 win. Defenseman Brad Stuart scored the only San Jose goal while Pavol Demitra and Stillman both scored 1 goal.

Western Conference Semifinals: Blues Sweep the Stars

The Western Conference Semifinals was a breeze for the Blues as they swept the Dallas Stars 4 games to none. In Game 1 on April 27 at the Reunion Arena, the Blues won 4-2. Defenseman Brad Lukovich and left winger John MacLean both had 1 goal for Dallas while center Marty Reasoner scored 2 goals and Demitra and Turgeon scored 1 goal each for St. Louis. In Game 2 on April 29, the Blues won 2-1. Center Joe Nieuwendyk had 1 goal for the Stars while Reasoner and Young both scored 1 goal for the Blues.

In Game 3 on May 1 at the Savvis Center, the Blues won 3-2 in a double overtime thriller. With 45 saves, goaltender Ed Belfour tried all he could to keep Dallas in the game. Right wingers Brett Hull and Mike Keane both scored 1 goal for Dallas while Hecht, Stillman, and defenseman Alexander Khavanov all scored 1 goal each. Stillman had the game-winning goal. In Game 4 on May 3 at the Savvis Center, the Blues completed their 4-game sweep with a 4-1 victory. Nieuwendyk scored the only Dallas goal while the combination of Pronger, Young, Tkachuk, and Khavanov all scored 1 goal each.

Western Conference Finals: Fall to the Avalanche

What was developing into a great story for the St. Louis Blues turned out to be just a nice story, as they were eliminated 4 games to 1 in the Western Conference Finals by the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche. The only win for St. Louis came in Game 3 at the Savvis Center, and fittingly enough, it was a 4-3 double overtime win in front of their home crowd. Right winger Dan Hinote, left winger Eric Messier, and defenseman Ray Bourque, who was ending his long 22-year NHL career, all scored 1 goal each. Goaltender Patrick Roy was amazing protecting the net, as he had 56 saves. The combination of Mellanby, Khavanov, Young, and right winger Jamal Myers all scored 1 goal each, with Young getting the game-winning goal.

A Memorable 2000-2001 St. Louis Blues Season

The story of the 2000-2001 St. Louis Blues season can be summed up by saying that this team was one that didn’t give up, a team that played well into overtime to get the results they wanted. The toughness of the Blues resonated with St. Louis hockey fans.