Video: Watch Blues Superfan Laila Anderson Hoist Stanley Cup After Game 7 Win
June 13, 2019
The St. Louis Blues' biggest fan got to meet Lord Stanley on Wednesday.
The Blues brought superfan Laila Anderson with them to Boston's TD Garden for Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, and they delivered in front of her with a resounding 4-1 victory over the Bruins to win their first championship in franchise history.
Anderson was among those on the ice after the game who got to meet the Stanley Cup:
She and the rest of the team got to hold the Cup in large part because of goaltender Jordan Binnington, who turned in one of the most memorable performances in Stanley Cup Final history. The rookie stopped 32 of the 33 shots he faced, only allowing a goal after the game was well in hand in the final minutes.
He survived an initial onslaught from the Bruins that saw the home team dictate play and create almost every early chance. Had Binnington not stood strong, Boston would have built a multi-goal lead and likely rode the momentum to a championship.
Binnington's effort gave his offense a chance to finally do some damage, and Ryan O'Reilly was the first to find the back of the net. From there, Alex Pietrangelo, Brayden Schenn and Zach Sanford lit the lamp to all but put away the victory and clinch the title.
That it was O'Reilly who started the scoring was no surprise to Anderson:
Emily Kaplan @emilymkaplanBlues superfan/good luck charm Laila Anderson told me she has “a gift for calling the first goal.” Before the game, she told her mom Ryan O’Reilly would score first. Her mom was skeptical. Laila: “Mom, two things: you should never doubt ROR, and you should never doubt me.” https://t.co/dPuDXL1iJQ
Benjamin Hochman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted the 11-year-old "is fighting a rare disease." Blues forward Pat Maroon said she "has been an inspiration to all of us throughout the year," per Hochman.
Her journey to Boston culminated in the team's first Stanley Cup title in 51 seasons of trying and a memorable encounter with the trophy she will surely never forget.