Tag Archives: Stanley Cup Finals

Game 7 Recap | The Bruins Fall to the Blues

Leave a reply

It starts in October. 31 teams, 31 fanbases. We hope, we dream, and we pray to the Hockey Gods (I imagine they’re big-bellied, beer-guzzling, bearded bad-asses who show one another affection by fighting). We all want one thing: the Stanley Cup. This year it came down to the Boston Bruins and the St. Louis Blues. It took all 7 games, but the Bruins ultimately fell to the Blues, who won their first Stanley Cup in their 51-year history.

Starting Strong

The Bruins were on home ice at TD Garden in Boston. The crowd was chanting “Let’s Go Bruins”, they were loud, and they were proud. The Black and Gold came out swinging. They fired at Blues goalie Jordan Binnington from every angle, and limited the Blues to one shot on goal in over 10 minutes to start the game. The Bruins outshot the Blues 12-4 in the first period, but that ultimately didn’t matter. With 3:13 left in the first period Ryan O’Reilly scored on a deflection to put the Blues up 1-0. Later, Brad Marchand went to the bench for an ill-timed line change, leaving Alex Pietrangelo a wide-open lane and shot at Rask. Pietrangelo scored with 7.9 seconds left in the first.

(Photo by Michael Dwyer)

In the second period the Blues fed off their momentum. Neither team scored in the second, but St. Louis was taking over. They established a defensive stand at center ice, limiting offensive opportunities for the Bruins by forcing turnovers and pouring the puck back into the Bruins zone. Rask stood tall, denying all shots, but the Blues wouldn’t be deterred. They hit more and stayed on the puck, bringing the momentum with them into the third period.

Collapse

Entering the third period down 2-0 the Bruins were still alive. They pushed, making great entries into the St. Louis zone. But Binnington was a brick wall, allowing nothing. He made easy saves on weak shots, he made brilliant saves on nearly unstoppable shots. No matter what the Bruins gave him, Binnington was equal to the task. With 8:35 left in the game Brayden Schenn scored, putting the game all but out of reach at 3-0. Four minutes later the final nail was put in the coffin when Zach Sanford scored. Up 4-0 with 4:38 left in the season, the Bruins got desperate. They pulled Rask, putting six men on the ice for Boston, but they couldn’t get anything past Binnington until Matt Grzelcyk scored with 2:10 left. It made little difference in the outcome of the game, but it did prevent a St. Louis Game 7 shutout in Boston.

(Photo by Patrick Smith)

After the game Brad Marchand told Boston Sports Journal’s Conor Ryan, “It’s a heartbreaker. It’s tough to describe. You know, they just took our dream, our lifetime dream from us, and everything we’ve worked for our entire lives, and it’s 60 minutes away from that. You can’t describe it.”

Moving Forward

The loss brings many offseason questions. Zdeno Chara signed a one-year contract extension. Will the 42 year-old actually come back and try to get to the Finals again next year? Or will he retire after coming to the brink and losing? The Bruins core is getting older, and some of the young guys will need new contracts. There’s a lot of work to be done to try to get back to the Cup. In October we’ll start over. We’ll hope, we’ll dream, and we’ll pray to those often insufferable Hockey Gods.

Boston Bruins

GAME 7| STANLEY CUP FINAL: BOSTON BRUINS VS ST. LOUIS

Leave a reply

It all comes down this. Tonight, the Boston Bruins will face one last challenge and the prize for all their effort: one big silver cup. For the St. Louis Blues, if they win, it would be their first time since coming into the league in 1967. For Boston, this is the first Game Seven Stanley Cup Final being played at home.

DOWN BUT NEVER OUT

It’s been a long journey for both teams this season, and for the Bruins it has been a test of will and “next man up.” Boston dealt with many injuries throughout the regular season that forced Coach Bruce Cassidy to juggle the lines and relay on the fast legs of a few Providence players. And yet, despite the many setbacks, the team managed to stay afloat while ending their regular season in the Eastern Conference behind the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Boston Bruins
(Photo Credits: WCVB

KEEPING THE PRESSURE

The Boston Bruins were sort of the dark horse to make into the final; it was all about the Lightning. But the Hockey Gods had other plans, and miraculously the juggernaut that was Tampa Bay fell in the first round.  As the Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in a well-fought series, their focus would turn to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

After a stunning sweep of the Lightning, Columbus were looking to repeat that formula with the Bruins. But a factor that hindered a potential sweep: Tuukka Rask. For as good as Sergei Bobrovsky was, Rask was that much better. He had a combined .948 save percentage with a shutout performance in Game Six, and the Bruins would continue on to face Carolina.With each game and series win, the narrative changed quickly in Boston when it came to Rask. If the Bruins win, will Tuukka finally get the respect he deserves?

Boston Bruins
(Photo Credit: AFP)

After a sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes, the stage had been set for Bruins: they would be in Stanley Cup Finals. Boston would be facing a tough competitor in St. Louis. In a series fret with a fair amount of controversies, winning a Game Seven at home for the Stanley Cup is a dream not every player gets to experience.

“I think that every hockey player can say that at one point in your life, or plenty of times, they’ve dreamed of being in a position like this. But it’s much different when you’re going through it and realizing how exciting and hard it is. You just have so much more appreciation for what we’ve been through and the road we’ve taken to get here. It’s a very special opportunity, regardless of how it plays out tomorrow. It’s been a special adventure with this group. Hopefully it ends on a good note…it’s gonna be a very hard-fought battle.”

Bruins Forward Brad Marchand

QUICK NOTES

It was recently announced that Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk has been cleared to play, however will be a gametime decision. If he plays, Coach Bruce Cassidy stated he would go in for Connor Clifton.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Tonight will mark 106 games played by the Boston Bruins. The expectations are high, and both teams will be gunning to bring every single thing they have onto the ice. The Bruins are within reach of adding another Championship to the city. For both Boston and St. Louis, this was no easy journey. And despite the outcome, this has been a wild ride.

“It’s winner take all…not much needs to be said. It’s not hard to get up for these games. It’s the biggest game of the year, obviously. We just have to be ready to go.”

Bruins Center Charlie Coyle

This is it folks.  ONE MORE GAME.  Put your lucky jersey on, get your beers ready, pray to whatever god you pray to and let’s have a good game.

Go Bruins.

WHEN TO WATCH:  Tonight  with puck drop after 8:00 pm, TD GARDEN

WHERE TO WATCH: NBC

Follow me on Twitter @pastagrl88

Backes battles former dreams in hopes to achieve new one

Leave a reply

St Louis drafted David Backes in the second round of the 2003 NHL entry draft. In 2008 the Blues completed their first full season with Backes. Backes played with the Blues for ten seasons. As result of exceptional leadership Backes was team captain for five of those years. St. Louis Fans absolutely considered Backes a crowd favorite. He played a crucial part in the Blues making the playoffs in six of his ten years there. After no championship in ten seasons, or even making it to a cup final, Backes decided to turn a new leaf.

In 2016 David Backes signed a five year contract with the Boston Bruins. After three seasons with the Bruins, and a so far successful run in the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs, a very interesting situation has come as a result; The Boston Bruins are playing the St. Louis Blues in a Stanley Cup Final, winner take all game seven on Wednesday night.

Leader on and off the ice

Backes is seen by some as the bad guy given that he plays with quite the amount of grit, in other words, he’s not always a crowd favorite. Presenting himself in a good manor is something David Backes does very well. He’s highly active in animal rescue and animal adoption efforts. Those efforts have resulted in starting his own organization that raises funds and awareness for protecting homeless pets. Who doesn’t like a guy that saves animals? But presently Backes’ game results in him being quite dog himself. Backes isn’t the type of guy to be a crowd favorite for the fans of opposing teams. After taking on the enforcer roll, Backes is a thorn in the side of opposing players now even more so.

Feeling Blue?

Having to play the Blues in the Cup does have Backes a little torn. He even wishes the Bruins and Blues could take turns winning the cup. As a result of playing former friends and coaches for the cup, they’ve all given the cold shoulder until after the series according to Backes, therefore game seven will be open season. Given that David Backes still roots for the Blues, even as a member of the Boston Bruins, he isn’t in a lose – lose situation.I

Certainly hoping to hoist the cup himself with the Bruins, I think its easy to tell now that even if the game results in the Blues win the cup on Wednesday night there’s a little piece of David Backes that will be filled with joy, seeing his former teammates, coaches, fans, and even some close friends hoist the Stanley Cup.

Recap: The Boston Bruins Force Game 7

Leave a reply

The Boston Bruins had their backs against the wall going into Enterprise Stadium in St. Louis on Sunday night. The Stanley Cup was in the building and the Blues were looking to hoist it in front of their home crowd. Word got out that the Blues already had a restaurant rented to celebrate their victory and a St. Louis newspaper had leaked an image online congratulating the Blues on their Stanley Cup win. Boston had an uphill battle to climb and they were up to the task.

Motivation

In the locker room before the game, Patrice Bergeron gave a rousing speech to fire up the boys in black and gold. Jake DeBrusk spoke about it afterward. “He’s a legend. He said some words that I don’t know if he necessarily wants me to repeat. They weren’t bad words. It was just about what we all dream about doing. Everyone that grows up playing hockey dreams of being in this moment. It was something along those lines and to see him set the tone that way wanted us all to run through a wall.”

(Photo by Jeff Roberson)

Quick Start

If the St. Louis Blues defense was the proverbial wall, the Bruins certainly ran through it. In the first period they had a 5-3 power play and capitalized almost immediately with a goal by Brad Marchand. After holding a 1-0 lead through two periods, the Bruins opened the floodgates in the third. Two and a half minutes into the period Brandon Carlo scored, and halfway through the period Karson Kuhlman scored his first career postseason goal, putting the Bruins up 3-0.

With eight minutes left in the game, Blues Center Ryan O’Reilly scored in a bizarre incident. Tukka Rask stopped the puck with his right leg pad, kicked it back out and play continued. During the next stoppage in play word had come down from Toronto to review the shot attempt. Upon review it was determined that the puck had completely cleared the line, making it a good goal. St. Louis was on the board and had life with the score now 3-1.

Closing Out Strong

That was the only goal they would score. With six minutes remaining, Brad Marchand, in front of the net, sent a backward pass to David Pastrnak. Pastrnak faked a shot, baiting goalie Jordan Binnington, who laid out to make a stop. The puck was shot top shelf and went in easily. Finally, with just under three minutes left, Zdeno Chara scored with an unassisted slap shot, making the final score 5-1. After the game, Brad Marchand said, “We’re fighting for our lives obviously. When you play desperate, I think you see everyone’s best game.”

(Photo by Jeff Roberson)

The Bruins are now 3-0 when facing elimination this post season and Tuukka Rask is a major part of that. His goals allowed average is 1.34, and he has a .953 save percentage in elimination games. Boston will host Game 7 on Wednesday night. The Cup will be at TD Garden and somebody will be hoisting it in victory. Both teams will be desperate. With Rask in net and the home crowd fired up and participating, this Boston Bruins team could very well pull the victory. They’ll need everyone ready to run through a wall to do so.

The Bruins Need A Hero

Leave a reply

After losing 2-1 to the St. Louis Blues in Game 5, Tuukka Rask was asked for a summary of the game. He laughed and said, “Summary? Probably could’ve stopped more pucks with my eyes closed. That’s about it. It’s on me, but we’re on to the next one.”

Officiating

It’s an admirable statement, but it’s also false. We can talk about how the first goal was scored while St. Louis had too many men on the ice. We can talk about how the second goal came seconds after Tyler Bozak took down Noel Acciari with a slew foot that wasn’t called, despite happening directly in front of referee Kelly Sutherland. We can talk about Ivan Barbashev hitting Marcus Johansson with a shoulder to the head and Zach Sanford hitting Torey Krug with an elbow to the head. None of those were called. In fact, the Blues haven’t had many calls against them since Blues Coach Craig Berube complained about the calls they received in Game 3. It’s also no coincidence that Game 3 was the best-called game of the series and the Bruins dominated, 7-2.

(Photo by Greg M. Cooper)

The officiating can’t be held completely responsible though, and neither can Rask. The Bruins have depth that has yet to show up in force. The power play was ferocious in Game 3, but seemed to disappear in the last two games. The zone possession hasn’t been steady by any means, and the first two lines have yet to truly show up. In short, the Boston Bruins need a hero to step up.

Boosts to Morale

Captain Zdeno Chara took a puck to the face, breaking his jaw in Game 4. In Game 5 he was back on the ice on the starting line and even had the first hit of the game. At one point the Blues were shooting on net and Rask ended up flat, too far out. David Krejci jumped in the crease and stopped a puck with his chest. Those are huge steps and great confidence boosters for the team. Now down 3-2 in the series, the Bruins have to win both of the remaining games. With their backs against the wall, they have to prevent the Blues from winning Game 6 in St. Louis and force a Game 7 back in Boston.

(Photo by Winslow Townson

The Bruins have been here before. They were down 3 games to 2 in the first round against Toronto. They’ve shown they have the fortitude, strength, confidence, and downright grittiness to win against tough odds. So who will it be? It has to be the first two lines. Krejci had that amazing save, reminiscent of Michael Ryder in Game 5 against the Montreal Canadiens in the 2011 playoffs, but his line hasn’t been effective in scoring. The Perfection Line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak has been well defended, but it’s time to break through that defense. They have to persevere and find a way and it has to happen now. There’s no longer a tomorrow.

Bruins Vs. Blues | Stanley Cup Game 5 Preview

Leave a reply

Two steps forward, one step back. That’s how the Stanley Cup Finals have gone for the Boston Bruins. They won Game 1 with a four-unanswered-goal comeback, taking it 4-2. They dominated Game 3 scoring four power play goals and winning 7-2. Unfortunately, Game 4 played similarly to Game 2. The Bruins couldn’t maintain the puck in the offensive zone, couldn’t keep it out of their own, and committed far too many turnovers. They lost Game 2 in overtime 3-2, then lost Game 4 by a score of 4-2. Both losses also came with injuries to the Bruins defense. In Game 2 Matt Grzelcyk was hit by Oskar Sundqvist and hasn’t played since due to a concussion. In Game 4 Zdeno Chara deflected the puck into his face and it’s reported that he has a broken jaw.

Tie Breaker

Tied at 2, the series is now a best-of-three. Game 5 is in Boston, as well as Game 7 if necessary. The Bruins will look to utilize the home crowd and light up the scoreboard early. They’ll need to establish and maintain offensive zone time and shoot at the net every chance they get. In both losses the Bruins had significantly fewer shots on goal than the Blues. Tuukka Rask has been amazing throughout the playoffs, but he’s going to need more offensive help to win the Stanley Cup.

(Associated Press)

Utilizing the Power Play

The Bruins haven’t been as productive during 5-on-5 play lately, so the key will be drawing penalties. They’ve been lethal on the power play and that can jump-start the full-strength offense. The Blues have been physical with several borderline (and a few egregious) hits, so getting a few calls should be inevitable. If the Bruins can capitalize on those chances and get something going, maintain puck possession, and cut down on turnovers, they’ll have a great chance of winning.

Defensive Woes

The defensive situation is a big question. Matt Grzelcyk was at practice on Wednesday, which is good news. But he was wearing the red, “no-contact”, jersey. So whether or not he plays in Game 5 remains to be seen. Chara is another question mark. There still hasn’t been any official word on him or his availability, but he wasn’t at practice on Wednesday. He’s consistently led the Bruins in ice time, so if he can’t play that leaves the Bruins with a large defensive hole. The current speculation is that Coach Bruce Cassidy will dress seven defensemen, instead of the usual five, to fill that void.

(Photo by Billy Hurst)

The Bruins had to win Game 3, and to do so they would have to play their best game of the season. They did. This time even more is on the line and they’ll have to play just as tough. They can’t allow the Blues to win Game 5 in Boston and go back to St. Louis to potentially win it all. Game 5 is an absolute must-win for the Bruins, and they’ll need all four lines showing up in force to do so. The series, the season, and the Stanley Cup is on the line.

Who Will Be the Next Bruins Banner Captain?

Leave a reply

Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals is set for Thursday, June 6th at TD Garden in Boston. It’s a pivotal and important game for both teams with the series tied at 2. The Blues will be riding momentum after beating the Bruins 4-2 in Game 4. The Bruins, however, have shown they have the resilience to fight back after coming back from a 2-0 deficit in Game 1 and winning 4-2. They’ve also shown they can completely dominate by winning Game 3 in St. Louis 7-2. The Bruins will need the hometown crowd to participate, getting as loud and supportive as possible. One of the keys to their Game 3 win was scoring early and taking the St. Louis crowd out of the game. They weren’t so lucky in Game 4.

Crowd Involvement

The crowd needs to get into the game early. In fact, they need to get loud and rowdy before the puck drops. That’s a job for the Banner Captain. The role of the Banner Captain is to wave the Bruins flag shortly before puck drop to get the crowd going. For Game 1 it was a position mutually held by the 2011 Stanley Cup-Winning Bruins team. In Game 2 it was New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. So who should wave the flag as Banner Captain before the pivotal Game 5?

(Photo by Associated Press)

Could it be Brady?

The rumor mill is churning with heavy force in that regard. The overwhelming prediction is Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Brady doesn’t usually participate in other Boston sporting events due to his rigorous schedule. That said, if the G.O.A.T. showed up waving the flag the crowd would erupt on an epic scale. Brady’s already assisted Captain Zdeno Chara in a hype video before Game 1, and has actively participated in support of the Bruins via social media. If he were at the game in person it wouldn’t just be the fans with electric energy, it’d be the Bruins themselves. In the company of greatness a competitor always wants to push just a bit harder and execute just a bit better. One of the greatest players in the history of the NFL showing up at the Garden to represent the Bruins would be dangerous for the Blues.

(Photo by Bruce Bennett)

Orr Someone Else?

If Tom Brady is unavailable the second most likely choice is Bruins legend Bobby Orr. Yes, he was already a Banner Captain during the series against the Carolina Hurricanes, but there are two things to keep in mind. First, let’s be honest, the Boston faithful never get tired of Mr. Orr. Second, in such an important game, tied against the St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup Finals, an ideal choice would be the man that scored the game winning goal against them in 1970. History and Bruins royalty make an electric combination.

There’s always the chance they go with another Boston sports icon. Rob Gronkowski, David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez… frankly, the list could go on and on. But the Bruins will likely be looking to make a big splash with this one and, for the record, Tom Brady is currently participating in Patriots Mini Camp right down the road. Imagine him waving the flag while yelling his inspirational catchphrase, “LET’S GO!”

Something’s Bruin

Leave a reply

Let me kick this whole thing off with some straight honesty. I am not a hockey guy.

From my vey cheap seats, here is what I know…

Icing is something that goes on a cake.

The crease is a place where you wipe.

The neutral zone is a description of my high school (ok, and college….and global) sex life…

Why?

Anyway. Playoff hockey is the best. Really. THE best. I’m a football guy by nature, but lets face some facts. Baseball completely sucks. Basketball is baseball’s younger, junkie brother. BUT, hockey – playoffs in particular -might just be the best thing in sports. The better team typically wins simply because of more hustle and tenacity. How awesome is that? Skate, push, fight harder than your opponent; and you likely will win. It’s amazing.

My brother-in-law was arguably one of the best players New England has produced and he gets it. I don’t. At all. I try…but, totally faking it. If I played this sport, I would be the guy throwing cheap shots at weak opponents and shooting pucks at hot girls on the stands for attention.

As a Bruins/Boston fan, please enjoy this. We are spoiled. So spoiled. Boston is blessed. America hates us. Good. Sorry y’all, but that’s life. Now dust off those duck boats. Its been like a hundred days since our last world champion team. Puck off!

See you Monday for Game 4. I’ll be the guy with the brand new Bs t-shirt from Kohl’s.

Boston Bruins

GAME 3: STANLEY CUP FINALS|BOSTON BRUINS STOMP ST. LOUIS

Leave a reply

With the series tied at 1-1, the Boston Bruins arrived at Enterprise Center determined to make a statement, and boy, did they. The Bruins know what’s at stake, and as they looked upon photos of past Stanley Cup victories that decorated their dressing room, the team was reminded to embrace the challenge. The ultimate prize is within reach, and the boys in Black and Gold overcame a head-hunting St. Louis team, defeating them in spectacular fashion 7-2 . The series is now 2-1 in Boston’s favor.

STRONG START

In what was supposed to be a special homecoming in St. Louis, things quickly went downhill for the Blues. For St. Louis, this was the first Stanley Cup final game played there since 1970. Despite the obvious pronounced physicality in an attempt to rattle the Bruins, Boston did not bite. The Bruins went four-for-four on the powerplay last night, and scored four goals in five shots. The first goal of the night came off a power-play, as Patrice Bergeron scored off a deflection from Torey Krug’s wrist shot. Charlie Coyle would score later off the rush, making it 2-0.

Boston Bruins
(Photo Credits: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

In the last moments of the first period Sean Kuraly would score on a wrist shot, making it 3-0. St. Louis, however, did challenge the goal as offside, but officials along with the Situation Room kept the call on ice. The Blues were assessed a penalty after the failed challenge (delay of game penalty) and Boston was on the power play going into the second. David Pastrnak would score 41 seconds in, making the score 4-0.

SINGING THE BLUES

St. Louis got on the board at 11:05 in the second period when Ivan Barbashev scored, making it 4-1. However, Krug would send one in on a power-play a minute after, making the score 5-1. Blues’ goalie Jordan Binnington was shortly pulled out and Jake Allen would step in. St. Louis would get a power-play in the third period, and Colton Parayko would score at 5:24. With an empty net down St. Louis’s end during the last five minutes of the game, Noel Acciari easily netted the puck, making it 6-2. With Allen back in the net, Marcus Johansson would bury one past him, making the final score 7-2.

Boston Bruins
(Photo Credits: AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

QUICK STATS

Binnington allowed five goals on 19 shots, and was pulled for the first time in his 52 start career. Jake Allen had three saves for the night. Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask made 27 saves on 29 shots, and has a save percentage of .939 with a goals-against-average of 1.91. Defenseman Torey Krug had a historic night as he became the first Bruins in history to have four points in a Stanley Cup Final game with one goal and three assists. Patrice Bergeron also had three points with one goal and two assists. He leads the playoffs with seven power-play goals.

“I think it was just a night where everything went our way. We tried to be more decisive and assertive getting pucks to the net after one or two passes.”

Bruins Torey Krug

The Bruins will be looking to continue playing to their skill over hitting as they face the Blues this Monday night in St. Louis.

Follow me on Twitter @pastagrl88