What makes sports great is what makes sports maddening.

The randomness of it all.

It’s a dirty little secret that players, coaches, fans (and sports writers) don’t like to admit or refuse to believe, because people don’t want to acknowledge that years of hard work often come down to a fluky bounce.

Hockey fans saw  during game 7 between the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks.

Down 4-3 with four minutes left in the game, Brent Seabrook’s shot clanked off the left post and skirted across the red line before clanking the right post and away from the net.

If the puck had hit the tiniest bump in the ice and trickled in, the Blackhawks could still be playing for their second straight Stanley Cup title right now while the Blues answer questions about being cursed.

Head Coach Ken Hitchcock would probably be on a beach somewhere, looking for his next job.

After the game, reporters asked about the Blues’ “resiliency” and players talked about how this group is different than other Blues teams that fell short in the playoffs.

And maybe this team is different.

But the biggest difference, so far, is that it’s lucky.

And that’s OK.

Because you need luck in the playoffs, and lots of it.

Players and coaches want to believe in words like “clutch” and “resilient” and “tough under pressure” because it justifies all the time spent in the gym.

Sports writers would rather write about how a player “stepped up when it mattered” because that’s a better story than someone hitting a shot they statistically miss half the time.

The Blackhawks had plenty of toughness and resiliency against the Blues. 

They had everything but a net that was half an inch wider.

And it’s not just hockey.

If New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady didn’t have kicker Adam Vinatierri on his side, he would have two fewer Super Bowl rings and wouldn’t be considered perhaps the best quarterback of all time.

If Villanova’s Kris Jenkins didn’t hit a 25-foot buzzer beater to win the national championship last month, Head Coach Jay Wright wouldn’t have been linked to NBA job openings a week later.

Wright didn’t become a better coach after Jenkins’ shot sent thousands of fans into a frenzy.

Brady didn’t become a better quarterback after his kicker knocked down a few field goals.

But people like to believe they did, because it makes sports easier to understand.

The Blues beat the Blackhawks because they put together one of their best rosters in years and they received some fortunate bounces along the way.

If they win two more games in this series, eliminate the Dallas Stars and go on to capture the first Stanley Cup in franchise history, they will need plenty of big plays from guys like hot goaltender Brian Elliott and right winger Vladimir Tarasenko.

But they will also need a few more friendly posts, and that’s OK.

Sports don’t make sense, so enjoy the randomness.