The St. Louis Post-Dispatch didn't do the local hockey team any favors on Sunday morning with a premature celebration.
Hours before the Blues would be hosting the Boston Bruins with a chance to win the Stanley Cup, the newspaper published multiple congratulatory advertisements and a letter from Blues owner Tom Stillman thanking the fans for helping the franchise win its first Stanley Cup in its digital editions.
Those who are superstitious were validated as the Blues lost Game 6 by a 5-1 score and will need to win Game 7 on the road Wednesday night.
"Winning the Stanley Cup was a dream come true for so many of you," Stillman wrote. "All of us will remember where we were, what we did and how we felt when the Blues brought the Cup home. Each of us will have a library of memories to pass down for generations."
Stillman said that the Blues' season "will go down as one of the most memorable championship campaigns in NHL history" ... and even mentioned a celebratory parade.
"We are so very proud of our players, our organization and our fans. And now, together, we can finally say 'We won the Cup for St. Louis,'" Stillman wrote. "We look forward to celebrating with you as we parade the Cup down Market Street."
Among the advertisements was one from Enterprise -- title sponsor of the team's arena -- congratulating the Blues on "winning the Stanley Cup."
The snafu could prove to be an embarrassing situation for the Post-Dispatch should the Bruins win the final two games of the series and claim the Stanley Cup.
The Blues have never won the Stanley Cup since becoming a franchise for the 1967-68 season.
--Field Level Media