Before Game 6 of the NHL's Western Conference Finals began, one group of fans at a table at Falstaff's Local encouraged the rest of the bar to stand and sing the National Anthem.

A few hours later when "Gloria" blasted over the speakers, the table didn't have to encourage anyone to get up. Everyone in the packed bar on Tuesday night was already standing, singing and wiping away tears.

The St. Louis Blues advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 49 years with a 5-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks to win the series 4-2.

"I've been waiting my whole life for this," Tim Grossiuf said. "I'll probably go home and cry. This is unreal."

Grossiuf wasn't the only one with tears in his eyes. Some fans in the near-capacity bar located at 311 Park Central West embraced one another, some wiped away tears, some didn't let themselves react until the final horn sounded.

Falstaff's owner Scott Morris — a lifetime Blues fan and former season ticket owner — modeled his bar after some of the ones he's been to in St. Louis and Chicago. He wanted fewer, but bigger TVs so the fans are all watching the same one.

He believes making it that way helps the fans get to know one another as they return night after night. The bar goes all out for all Blues games throughout the season in addition to hosting radio events for the Springfield Cardinals.

"It's definitely a different place to watch a Blues game," Morris said. "I think this is the best sports bar in town if you're going to watch a game."

One fan ran around the bar with a flag he brought from his front yard in Joplin.

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Larry Lankford, who has made the drive from Joplin to Falstaff's for each Blues postseason game, wanted a place to watch his team play. After a bit of research on the internet, he tried out Falstaff's and fell in love with the game-day atmosphere.

He and that flag made their way around the bar just a little over a minute and a half into the game.

David Perron scored a goal at 1:32 to the sounds of horns at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. At Falstaff's in Springfield, the same horns blasted while fans who were on the edge of their seats let their 49 years of built-up anxiety go as their team took a 1-0 lead.

With about 11 minutes to go in the first period, the Sharks were called for a hand pass — which went uncalled in overtime in a Game 3 loss — to the delight of the Springfield crowd. Some yelled expletives toward the referees, while some applauded the referees finally getting the call right.

The celebration continued when the Blues took a 2-0 lead after Vladimir Tarasenko scored a goal on a power play 16:16 into the first period. The horns rang loud to the bar's "Let's Go Blues!" chants.

Fans were back to being nervous after the Blues went from having a good goal opportunity to allowing the Sharks to cut their lead to one with 6:40 left in the second period. Silence fell over the establishment until the bartenders played the horns to get the energy back up with a "Let's Go Blues!" chant.

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The atmosphere was back for good 6 minutes later when Brayden Schenn scored a power play goal to put the Blues back up 3-1 late in the second. Lankford and his flag made their way from one room of the bar to the other side of the next room.

With 6:55 remaining in the game, fans had a sense the series was theirs when Tyler Bozak put the Blues up 4-1. Tears were being held back and victory shots were being taken.

Ivan Barbashev's empty-net goal with 2:15 to go was the icing on the cake. The Blues were going to the Stanley Cup Final and the dancing began.

The first game of the Stanley Cup Final between the Blues and the Bruins begins Monday at 7 p.m. in Boston. You can bet on one fan from Joplin making the drive back to downtown Springfield.

"We'll be here," Lankford said.