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Bruins beat Blues to win Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final

By James O'BrienMay 27, 2019, 10:59 PM EDT
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If the Boston Bruins were rusty in Game 1, then the St. Louis Blues better watch out during the rest of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final.

Boston rallied from down 2-0 to win Game 1 by a score of 4-2, taking a 1-0 series lead against the Blues. As much as St. Louis must regret squandering a lead, the honest truth is that the Blues were probably lucky that the score was so close.

Perhaps that’s a silver lining for St. Louis, actually. Jordan Binnington and the Blues penalty kill was able to keep St. Louis in a game they were sometimes sorely outplayed in, so maybe the Blues can improve if they even out the overall level of play? They’ll need to do better one way or another, because the Bruins really flexed their muscles during most of Game 1.

This marks the fourth comeback win of this postseason for the Bruins, and the 31st overall for the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, serving as a reminder that few leads have been safe.

Early mistakes allow St. Louis to get ahead

The Blues managed to take a 2-0 lead in part by capitalizing on miscues by David Pastrnak, with Brayden Schenn scoring first and then Vladimir Tarasenko fattening their edge early in the second period. Pastrnak’s turnover to Schenn leading to the 2-0 tally was especially bad, as Pastrnak coughed up the puck behind his own red line. Instead of that leading to a meltdown by the Bruins, it instead seemed to light a fire under Boston.

[NBC 2019 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]

Bruins impose their will

The Bruins scored twice during a dominant second period, ultimately generating an 18-3 shots on goal advantage and often finding opportunities from high-danger areas.

After killing off the first three Bruins power plays, an ill-advised Oskar Sundqvist cross-checking penalty proved to be one penalty too many, as Charlie McAvoy managed the 2-2 goal.

While Game 1 was up-and-down for the Bruins’ top line (again, particularly Pastrnak), Boston’s improving supporting cast really came through. Sean Kuraly made a fantastic pass to set up a key Connor Clifton goal to make it 2-1, then opened up the scoring in the third period with a tenacious goal to make it 3-2.

Things to watch

The Blues simply cannot take as many penalties going forward. It’s actually impressive that they limited Boston to a 1-for-5 success rate when you think of how dangerous the Bruins’ power play has been, but that McAvoy goal was pivotal.

[Blues need to stay out of the penalty box.]

It may be difficult to stay out of the box during the most passionate times during this series, too, as these two teams haven’t needed much time to make things nasty. If penalties are totally unavoidable, St. Louis at least needs to seek a better balance than allowing the Bruins five opportunities to just two like they managed during Game 1.

[More on the nastiness, as it’s clear David Backes is putting friendships on hold.]

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If the pace of Monday’s Game 1 serves as a fair indication, the 2019 Stanley Cup Final could be an exciting, gnarly series for the ages. The Bruins are playing well enough that the Blues need to up their games if they want to avoid this being a short series, though.

Game 2 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final takes place on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET. That contest airs on NBCSN (stream here).

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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.

Bruins get spark from Krug’s big hit: ‘That gave me some goosebumps’

By Sean LeahyMay 28, 2019, 12:57 AM EDT
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BOSTON — Torey Krug was happy with two things Monday night. 

The first was that the Boston Bruins won Game 1 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final 4-2 over the St. Louis Blues. The second was that he was glad he recently got a haircut because midway through the third period he got to show it off much to the delight TD Garden crowd.

After Krug was involved in what David Backes described as a game of Twister with Blues forward David Perron in front of the Bruins’ net, Krug lost his helmet during the battle while the play was in the other end. No penalties were called and when Krug was finally free, instead of making a line change he charged into the other zone and laid a huge hit on Robert Thomas.

The hit came with the Bruins up 3-2 and dominating play after St. Louis took a 2-0 lead in the second period. It was a play that riled up an already amped Garden crowd and resonated with Krug’s teammates.

“That gave me some goosebumps,” said Backes. “He thinks he’s playing 30, 40 years ago. That was an exchange that was Torey Krug establishing himself in this series. From my perspective that was a big boost.”

“You don’t want to mess with that guy,” said Connor Clifton, who scored the Bruins first goal. “Don’t make that guy mad.”

“He’s a type of guy who never gives up,” said Tuukka Rask. “I saw him battle in front of the net. I just wanted to tell him to get out of there, join the rush. He had no helmet on so he wanted to make sure he made the highlights.”

Said David Pastrnak: “He just got a haircut a couple of days ago, so he was looking pretty good.”

[NBC 2019 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]

The 5-foot-9 Krug said that he saw an opportunity to be a second wave of attack as he sped toward the St. Louis zone. A good pass would have caught him streaking in for a scoring chance, but the puck ended up along the boards and as Thomas tried to slap it out of the zone, Krug was there to deliver the hit. Thomas did not play another shift for the remainder of the game.

“It’s part of a game,” said Krug afterward. “Momentum swings, it gives your team a boost of energy. I don’t know what they were feeling on their bench, but if it pushes them back and catches them off-guard, then great for our team. But I think it gave our team energy and that’s all you’re trying to do out there is make little plays throughout the game that pushes your team in the right direction and that was one of them.”

Game 1 quickly developed into a physical affair. There was plenty of bad blood created early, and while some might expect hate between two teams from opposite conferences to take time to build, there was no waiting around for that, and for good reason.

“When everything’s on the line like that, it’s going to come to the surface a lot quicker,” said Krug. “So this is a team that we don’t see too often. That rivalry factor’s not there. But I’m sure by the end of the series it’ll be something to talk about for a long time.”

MORE: Stanley Cup Buzzer: Kuraly, Bruins overwhelm Blues

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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.

Stanley Cup Buzzer: Kuraly, Bruins overwhelm Blues

By James O'BrienMay 28, 2019, 12:24 AM EDT
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  • The Blues generated a 2-0 lead in Game 1, but it wasn’t enough to contain the Bruins. Boston scored the next four goals, finding plenty of room and putting plenty of pressure on St. Louis for much of the contest. It was a hard-hitting, sometimes nasty affair, which seems just fine to both teams.

Boston Bruins 4, St. Louis Blues 2 (Boston leads series 1-0; Game 2 airs on NBCSN at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday; stream here)

After Vladimir Tarasenko scored an opportunistic goal, the Blues found themselves up 2-0 early in the second period. The Bruins responded with a goal of their own just 1:16 after Tarasenko’s tally, and dominated from the that point on. While the score was close – particularly when you consider that Brad Marchand scored on an empty net – the Bruins were able to dominate long stretches of play. St. Louis has a ton of work to do heading into Game 2.

Grudges and gore

There were plenty of physical moments in Game 1, both during play and after the whistle, with David Backes figuring in prominently during some of the hostility with his former Blues teammates.

The Bruins had a scare late in the contest, as Zdeno Chara was bloodied and shaken up by a blocked shot. The early word from Chara is that he merely needed stitches, so that could be a mostly dodged bullet, but we’ll see if anything else comes of that, and the other nasty moments from Monday.

Three Stars

1. Sean Kuraly

With the Bruins down 2-0, Kuraly made a fantastic pass to Connor Clifton to get Boston on the board. Kuraly then scored the game-winning goal early in the third period, giving him a one-goal, one-assist night.

Kuraly hasn’t generated a ton of points during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and was unable to score a goal during Boston’s sweep against the Carolina Hurricanes, yet he’s managed to create plenty of chances in a depth role. One of the better examples was Game 3 against Carolina, where he couldn’t score a goal despite seven SOG, although Kuraly did manage an assist.

You could say that the sneaky-good forward was “due” for a breakout, and Kuraly enjoyed just that in Game 1. Boston already brings plenty of threats to the table, so St. Louis really can’t afford to allow Kuraly to get on a hot streak, too.

2. Brayden Schenn

Schenn had been snake-bitten in his own right. His 1-0 goal represented just his third goal of this postseason, but it also gives Schenn goals in consecutive games, as he also scored an important one for the Blues as they wrapped up their Round 3 series against the Sharks.

[NBC 2019 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]

Schenn made a head’s up play to intercept a David Pastrnak pass attempt behind the Bruins’ goal line to set up Tarasenko’s 2-0 goal, too, so Schenn was a big part of the Blues getting a 2-0 early lead, finishing Game 1 with a goal and an assist.

It wasn’t enough, but the Blues have to be thrilled to see their hot-and-cold top line revving things up.

3. Connor Clifton

There are some interesting options for the third star, including Jordan Binnington, who kept the Blues within striking distance by making 34 out of 37 saves.

Clifton had quite the Game 1, joining Charlie McAvoy as Bruins defensemen who scored important early goals to lock things up at 2-2. Clifton’s goal was the first for Boston, breaking the ice and giving the Bruins some life.

While Kuraly’s pass made it happen, Clifton ranked as one of the Bruins who tilted the ice in Boston’s favor, as you can see by checking out Natural Stat Trick’s numbers. Clifton was on the ice for nine even-strength scoring chances for and only four against, among other impressive five-on-five stats. Jake DeBrusk‘s numbers were even more impressive, but Clifton scored a goal and logged more ice time, so he gets the edge. Marcus Johansson continues to have a strong playoff run in his own right.

The more a once-seemingly-top-heavy Bruins team gets quality work from their depth players, the scarier Boston looks.

Factoids

Game 2 info

Game 2 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final takes place on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET. You can watch the action on NBCSN (stream here). For more information on the rest of the series’ dates and start times, click here.

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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.

Blues penalty parade costs them dearly in Game 1

By Scott BilleckMay 28, 2019, 12:07 AM EDT
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Going 4-for-5 on the penalty kill against the Boston Bruins might appear as job done against a team that came into the Stanley Cup Final operating at 34 percent.

Sometimes the numbers don’t tell the whole story.

Sure, limiting the Bruins to just one power-play tally is something to write home about. But taking five penalties and killing their own momentum that led to a 2-0 lead? Yeah, no need to spill any ink and lick the stamp for that letter.

The Blues showed their worth in front half of the first period, building a 1-0 lead on through Brayden Schenn by using their legs for good use on the forecheck. The recipe was there. No more ingredients were needed to make the dish any better.

And they certainly didn’t need to sabotage themselves by taking needless penalties. But after a 2-0 lead turned into a 4-2 loss in Game 1 of the Cup Final, the Blues can’t afford to allow the Bruins upset the dinner table.

The Blues spent a good chunk of the back half of the first period trying to put out their own fires. A lazy stick from David Perron and hook by Robert Thomas tempted fate,. Two offensive zone penalties in the first, ones that quashed their opportunity to open up the early wound further.

Of course, there was some unrest about some of the calls from the Blues room after the game.

“There were a couple that we weren’t sure about,” Perron said after the game. “We would have maybe liked a slashing call in the third to make it 5-on-3. I thought the refs … it’s a fast game out there.

“When you get into penalty trouble, a lot of guys sit on the bench and it’s tough to get going. That’s what happened a little bit.”

The Blues survived, for the time being.

After going up 2-0 after a minute gone in the second, they had to once again kill off a penalty — an unnecessary one, too, at that by Joel Edmundson. Then Oskar Sundqvist gave the Bruins their fourth of the game after a boneheaded (and dangerous) hit from behind.

The odds, based on Boston’s success rate, meant they were overdue for a goal. They had already missed on some chances on earlier attempts, and after they made it 2-1 earlier in a 5-on-5 situation, the dam finally broke for St. Louis as Charlie McAvoy‘s snipe tied the game 2-2 with Sundqvist stapled to his seat in the sin bin.

It’s stuff like this that’s going to grind Craig Berube’s gears, especially after they were dominating the shot share in the first period.

They were outplaying Boston, then they handed the game over to them and the Bruins took full advantage.

“It’s obviously a big thing,” Berube said. “We’ve been real disciplined most of all playoffs, pretty much. We weren’t tonight, obviously, with five penalties. We’ve got to be better there.”

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Scott Billeck is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @scottbilleck

Bruins’ Chara bloodied by puck late in Game 1

By James O'BrienMay 27, 2019, 11:16 PM EDT
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The Boston Bruins had a lot to celebrate in beating the St. Louis Blues 4-2 in Game 1 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, but they also must be concerned about Zdeno Chara.

Cameras picked up shots of Chara being bloodied in the arm/wrist area, and looking to be in considerable pain, during the closing moments of Game 1. Chara immediately left the ice after blocking a shot, and the moment came late enough in the third period that he understandably did not return to action.

After Game 1, Chara told reporters that he is fine and just needed some stitches. Naturally, teams and players can be secretive about injuries this time of year, so if anything else develops, PHT will pass along further information.

Game 2 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final takes place on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET. You can watch on NBCSN (stream here).