Bruins were last victims in a Blues title run unlike any in U.S. sports

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Back in 2001, an underdog New England team stunned a St. Louis favorite in Super Bowl XXXVI to complete a historic championship season.

It's safe to say the script was flipped Wednesday night.

The St. Louis Blues flattened the Boston Bruins 4-1 on home ice in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to capture their first title in franchise history.

But here's what made that win even more impressive (and more devastating if you're a Bruins fan): The Blues were literally dead-last in the NHL standings on Jan. 2.

Not surprisingly, they're the first team in the NHL's expansion era to go from worst to first.

In fact, St. Louis is the first team in the modern are of any of the North American pro sports leagues (NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB) to win a title after ranking last in its league earlier that season.

Craig Berube's club had a .405 winning percentage nearly halfway (38 games) through its season but rallied to finish third in the Western Conference to secure a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, where all bets are off.

Want a better sense of how much the odds were stacked against St. Louis? A $400 bet on the Blues to win the Cup just cashed in at $100,000.

It's no wonder the Bruins were so devastated in the dressing room Wednesday night after being on the wrong side of history.

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