This Day in Blackhawks History: Brouwer breaks Blackhawk fans' hearts

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James
April 25, 2022 (2:18)

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The effects of three long playoff runs including two Stanley Cups, finally caught up to the Chicago Blackhawks as former Hawk Troy Brouwer scored the game-winning goal in Game 7 leading the St. Louis Blues to a 3-2 win in the 2016 first round. It was Brouwer's first career point in seven career Game 7's and his first postseason goal in 24 games.

The Blues had a 3-1 lead in the series and looked to have the Hawks dead to rights before they stormed back with a double-overtime win in Game 5 (4-3) on Patrick Kane's lone goal of the series. Kane scored 46 during the regular season and led the team by a wide margin in points with 106, 29 more than rookie Artemi Panarin.

The Blues jumped out to a 3-1 lead after the first period of Game 6, but the Hawks responded with three second period tallies including the eventual game winner from the unlikeliest of sources, Dale Weise, who was a healthy scratch in Game 1, in a 6-3 win.

Game 7 saw the Blues take the lead in the first minute on a Jori Lehtera goal. Colton Parayko added a goal 12 minutes later to push the deficit to two. Marian Hossa was able to find the net late in the first to give the Hawks some momentum.

In the second period, Andrew Shaw pulled Chicago even with his team-leading fourth goal of the series. It would stay that way until the 8:31 mark of the third when Brouwer got loose in the crease and after a few whacks put it past Corey Crawford. Brent Seabrook hit not one, but two posts with a blast from the point in the waning minutes, but it wasn't meant to be.

The series featured many memorable moments including Crawford going after Robby Fabbri after he was tired of the Blues crowding his crease.

Shaw was also suspended for Game 5 after using a homophobic slur in the previous game. The Blues went on to reach the Conference finals for the first time in 15 years.