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Sports

Here's How Close the Blackhawks Were to Tying the Blues in Game 7

A deflection and two posts: the puck never had a chance of going in.

The St. Louis Blues took a 3-2 lead at home in Game 7 with just about 10 minutes left to play in the game. Former Chicago Blackhawks winger Troy Brouwer scored on a quick passing possession after Erik Gustafsson was dispossessed in the neutral zone. It was very much a hockey Game 7, which is to say it was completely bonkers and both teams continued to tear up and down the ice like the fate of humanity hung in the balance.

Then, with about four minutes left to play, Brent Seebrook snapped a wrist shot from the point that not only wasdeflected right in front of goalie Brian Elliot but proceeded to hit both goal posts. It hit the nearside post first, and then fluttered along the goal line for what must have felt like an eternity to a Blues fan, where it then hit the far side post and bounced back into the crease. Disaster was narrowly avoided for the Blues, but the puck was still hanging out in the crease behind Elliot. He had to whip his glove hand around and run some interference on Richard Panik's stick before the puck was safely cleared away.

No goal was called on the ice, and after the sides continued to play for nearly another minute, it was finally reviewed at the next stoppage of play. The puck never fully crossed the line and the call was upheld. It got hairy for the Blues there in the final minutes, as it always seems to do in close Game 7s, but they hung on to beat the rival Blackhawks, cutting Chicago's title defense well short. It's the first time in four years the Blues have made it out of the first round. They will play the Dallas Stars in the second round.

[NBCSN]