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The unlikely dream lives on.

The Blues are headed to the NHL’s Final Four for just the fourth time since 1970. They needed about four grueling hours to punch that ticket Tuesday night, but they finally outlasted the Dallas Stars 2-1 in double overtime of Game 7.

“A lot of people doubted us,” Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo said. “I’ll tell you what, and I really do mean this, I get proud of this group more and more every single day . . . A lot of people say we have a close room, and we do. That’s a resilient effort from where we were in December to get to where we are now. You have look back and be proud of this effort.”

Enterprise Center shook when Pat Maroon punched a Robert Thomas rebound past goaltender Ben Bishop to finally win the game. Long-suffering Blues fans released their anxiety with a collective roar as the players celebrated at center ice.

“We deserved that game tonight,” Maroon said. “It hasn’t really hit me . . . what a roller coaster. It’s emotional for sure. Probably the biggest goal I’ve ever scored in my career.”

By continuing an unlikely run that began in January — when they sat dead last in the entire league — the Blues have their best shot since 1986 to actually win their first Stanley Cup.