"It's taken a lot of hard work from these guys, it's taken a group that has really bound together when we've had our back against the walls in a couple Game 7s and played our best hockey when we really needed it," Backes, the Blues captain, said. "Good feeling right now. We know we're one of the last four teams standing and we're halfway to our ultimate goal. We still have some work to do; it's a good feeling in this room right now, how we came out in Game 7, played a full 60 minutes."
Blues coach Ken Hitchcock is 5-2 in Game 7, including in the first round against the Chicago Blackhawks. Stars coach Lindy Ruff is 0-4, having lost three as coach of the Buffalo Sabres.
"I think that [it's] a huge disappointment [to lose Game 7]," Ruff said. "We had good energy, but it's a tough way to end [our season]. Even when we started pushing, we missed too many good opportunities to get back in it."
The Blues have won two Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second time. The last time that happened was in 1968, their inaugural season.
Hitchcock will take a third team to a conference final (Dallas, Philadelphia Flyers).
"To play in the conference final, I know as a coach here in Dallas (1998, 1999, 2000) I took it for granted and it was a big mistake," Hitchcock said. "I left here and thought all you do is play in the conference final or the Cup Final, then I went to Philadelphia and had early success there. That was 2004 and I've never been back since. Sometimes you can play your whole career and not play in the conference final, so it's pretty impressive."