BOSTON — Sean Kuraly scored to interrupt a third-period tie and assisted on one other objective to assist the Boston Bruins rally from a two-goal deficit and beat the St. Louis Blues Four-2 on Monday evening in Recreation 1 of the Stanley Cup Last.
Tuukka Rask stopped 18 pictures for Boston, which fell behind 2-Zero on targets from Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko. However the Bruins outshot the Blues 18-Three within the second interval — and 38-20 within the sport — to take the opener within the best-of-seven collection.
Brad Marchand added an empty netter to clinch it.
St. Louis Blues gamers on the bench watch Boston Bruins’ Brad Marchand have fun (AP Picture/Charles Krupa)
Forty-nine years after Bobby Orr flew by the air following his Cup-clinching objective in opposition to St. Louis within the 1970 remaining, Boston defencemen Connor Clifton and Charlie McAvoy scored within the second interval to tie it.
Jordan Binnington made 34 saves for the Blues, who haven’t been again to the ultimate since then. Recreation 2 is Wednesday evening.
It had been 17,914 days because the Blues’ final look within the Stanley Cup Last, after they misplaced to Orr’s Bruins in 4 video games.
They bumped into a well-recognized downside: The Boston defence.
After profiting from Boston’s sluggish begin — the Bruins hadn’t performed since sweeping the Carolina Hurricanes within the convention remaining on Might 16 — St. Louis jumped to a 2-Zero lead.
Schenn made it 1-Zero lead halfway by the primary interval on a third-chance shot. Within the first minute of the second, David Pastrnak received sloppy behind the Bruins’ web and Schenn was there once more, this time to go it to Tarasenko within the slot to make it 2-Zero.
However simply 76 seconds later, Clifton tipped in a go from Kuraly to chop the deficit to 1 objective. And in the course of the second, on the Bruins’ fourth energy play of the sport, McAvoy got here proper up the center and wristed it previous Binnington’s glove to tie it.
Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask and Charlie McAvoy have fun (AP Picture/Michael Dwyer)
It was nonetheless tied 5 minutes into the third when Noel Acciari, on Binnington’s left, made a spin transfer and swept the puck throughout the crease to Kuraly. He steadied it together with his skate after which poked it in together with his stick to present the Bruins their first lead of the sport.
The gang, which had beforehand been most excited to see the 2011 champions waving banners earlier than the sport, started a chant of “Let’s Go Bruins!” Though David Krejci’s penalty quieted the constructing, it got here again to life when Torey Krug, indignant over a scuffle with David Perron in entrance of the St. Louis web, sped down the ice helmetless and flattened Robert Thomas.
After the whistle, followers chanted “We wish the Cup!”
Notes: Lil Nas X and Chase Rice, who carried out a live performance in Metropolis Corridor Plaza earlier than the sport, have been in attendance. They each received huge cheers when proven on the video board, and the gang erupted when Rice chugged a beer. … Members of the Bruins 2011 Stanley Cup championship crew took half in pregame banner ceremonies. 5 gamers on the present roster have been on that crew: Rask, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Krejci and Zdeno Chara. … The Blues scored the primary objective for the 14th time in 20 playoff video games. That they had been 10-Three when scoring first, and 6-1 when main after the primary interval. … Blues D Vince Dunn missed his fourth straight sport with an unspecified damage. … Binnington stopped 83 of the earlier 85 pictures he confronted by one interval, relationship again to Recreation Four of the Western Convention finals.
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The Bruins can be midway to their seventh NHL title with victory on Wednesday evening at dwelling. It might be their first since 2011. They misplaced to Chicago within the 2013 remaining.
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Jimmy Golen, The Related Press
