Battle Of Hudson

Twenty-five Years Later: June 14, 1994

Posted on June 15, 2019 by Derek

The 1993-94 New York Rangers still give us goosebumps 25 years later. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy ESPN.

Twenty-five years later, the real Anniversary is here for the Rangers. They commemorated the emotional Stanley Cup victory in February by bringing almost every member of that special championship team back to Madison Square Garden.

That included architect Neil Smith and coach Mike Keenan along with the rest of the staff that we fondly remember. That included Sam Rosen and former broadcast partner John Davidson, who fittingly has returned as the new Team President now.

They remembered defenseman Alexander Karpovtsev, who was taken from us too soon. They saved the best for last by playing the late John Amirante’s Canadian and American national anthem before the loudest crowd to ever be in an arena for a marquee event. As Rosen noted following Amirante’s anthem which could still be heard even if the noise drowned it out, he’d never heard this building louder since 1968 when it first opened. It never will be.

So, what was that do or die Game Seven like for a 17-year old high school senior watching at home with a very nervous Dad, who never thought he’d see them win? Or a younger brother who was only 10 getting ready to graduate fifth grade? A lot of anxiety, excitement and plenty of nervousness rolled into one.

You know that uncomfortable pit in your stomach when you have to do something important like take a test, go for a job interview or ask someone out? Well, it’s the same feeling when it comes to rooting for your favorite sports team try to do something they haven’t done in 54 long years.

I would listen to Dad’s stories of being a season ticket holder in the early 70’s and having to watch Bobby Orr and the hated Bruins skate the Cup in 1972 at the Garden. A series that saw leading scorer Jean Ratelle return from a broken ankle, but not be the same player. Had he been, they could’ve won it that year.

Instead, older generation diehard fans like our father had to wait much longer to see the Rangers make history. Sure. They had a great run in ’79 on the back of Davidson by upsetting the Islanders before losing in five to the Canadiens. Montreal eliminated the ’86 team who made it to the Wales Conference Final due to another goalie, John Vanbiesbrouck. They were no match for rookie Patrick Roy, who backstopped the Habs to the Cup.

It could’ve happened in ’92. The Rangers had a great team that won the President’s Trophy in Mark Messier’s first year as a Blueshirt. He won the Hart and Brian Leetch won the Norris. Both topping 100 points. Mike Gartner scored 40 goals. A core of James Patrick, Tony Amonte, Adam Graves, Jeff Beukeboom, Sergei Nemchinov, Darren Turcotte with Mike Richter and Beezer sharing the goalie duties seemed on the verge of dethroning the Penguins in the Patrick Division Final. But a controversial suspension to Graves due to a slash on Mario Lemieux along with a Ron Francis goal that beat Richter from center ice did them in. Jaromir Jagr beat Vanbiesbrouck on a penalty shot and the Pens took the series in six, en route to a second straight Cup.

By the time ’93-94 rolled around, things had really changed. Roger Neilson was gone following a disappointing ’92-93 that saw the team miss the playoffs with Leetch breaking his ankle and players underperforming. In came Keenan. A hard line coach with a proven track record. Having guided the Flyers and Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup Final before losing to favorites Edmonton and Pittsburgh, Iron Mike was no nonsense. He proved that early on following a humiliating home loss to the expansion Mighty Ducks.

As the season went on, it became apparent that Keenan’s tough cop treatment of his players worked. They responded well to his brutal honesty. Postgames became a must watch to see what he would say. The only other coach the franchise has had since who was like that is John Tortorella. He didn’t win here, but sure was interesting to follow in his four and a half year tenure that included the East’s top seed with a young team that made it to the Eastern Conference Final before suffering a heartbreaking loss to the rival Devils in 2012.

What made Keenan so interesting was his crazy tactics during games. They ranged from leaving Alexei Kovalev out for a five-minute shift to mysteriously benching stars Leetch and Messier in big spots against the Devils and Canucks. He also had a penchant for pulling goalies. It was his way or the highway. Smith, who didn’t see eye to eye with him- gave Keenan everything he wanted.

That meant swinging a complicated three team deal that sent Patrick and Turcotte to the Whalers for key former Blackhawk Steve Larmer and ex-Whaler Nick Kypreos. It also meant changing the look of a first place roster at the most discussed trade deadline ever. He wanted more grit and got it with former Hawks Brian Noonan and Stephane Matteau for future star Amonte. Todd Marchant was exchanged to Edmonton for Craig MacTavish. A solid checking center who could win face-offs with Cup experience.

Every deal worked out including swapping proven finisher Gartner for veteran Glenn Anderson. A trade that was very unpopular with Ranger fans. We loved Gartner and wanted him to be part of it. Instead, due to Keenan and obviously Messier, he was sent to Toronto for Anderson, Scott Malone (who?) and a fourth round pick (Alexander Korobolin) that didn’t amount to anything. Anderson was another proven playoff performer who won Cups with Messier and the Oilers dynasty. That’s also where Graves and Beukeboom came from with both part of the last Edmonton Cup in ’90. Beukeboom won three when Messier and a guy by the name of Gretzky was still around before The Trade. Kevin Lowe also came from Edmonton. So did Esa Tikkanen.

It’s funny looking back. Many critics have referred to the ’94 championship team as the New York Oilers. Considering how many big deals Smith swung with Glen Sather, I get the point. Nobody told Slats that a package of Bernie Nicholls, Steven Rice and Louie DeBrusk was enough to acquire one of the all-time greats to ever lace them up. Ironically, Beukeboom came over too to complete the franchise altering transaction for David Shaw. Who do you think won that deal?

The ironic part is Nicholls was a very good player who came over from the Kings for popular Rangers Tony Granato and Tomas Sandstrom in January 1990. He only lasted one full season and was gone after one game into ’90-91. It’s crazy that he wound up with the Devils and played the role of the bad guy in the memorable Conference Final that still holds up all this time later as arguably the best.

When the Rangers advanced on Matteau’s goal in double overtime off rookie Martin Brodeur, they were supposed to easily beat the heavy underdog Canucks. Led by the dangerous Pavel Bure, Trevor Linden and Cliff Ronning, they’d already upset the Flames and Maple Leafs to reach the Cup Final as a seventh seed.

They were no pushover. With Bure the league’s leading goalscorer with 60 goals, a good captain in Linden, a playmaking center in Ronning, and a strong supporting cast that included Kirk McLean, Geoff Courtnall, Greg Adams, Jeff Brown, Jyrki Lumme, Murray Craven, Bret Hedican and Sergio Momesso, they were a good team that got hot at the right time.

Still, following McLean standing on his head with 54 saves in a 3-2 Game One overtime win with Adams finishing off a Ronning set up right after Leetch hit the post, it looked like the Rangers would prevail in five. They took Game Two 3-1, Game Three 5-1 and Game Four 4-2.

It wasn’t that simple. Vancouver jumped out to a 2-0 lead in Game Four. Bure got a penalty shot with the score 2-1 Canucks. He exploded like a cannon following a Leetch turnover. Nobody has breakaway speed like that. It wasn’t like Leetch was slow either. Here came a signature moment in the series. Bure vs Richter. Here’s what happened next:

An aggressive Richter came out and challenged Bure to beat him. He waited patiently for Bure to make the first move and then recovered quickly to rob Bure of a penalty shot goal that would’ve sent those screaming fans at Pacific Coliseum into bedlam. It probably would’ve meant a tie series headed back to MSG for Game Five.

Instead, power play goals from Sergei Zubov and Kovalev gave the Rangers the lead. Larmer added an insurance marker to erase any doubt. The Rangers led the series three games to one with the fifth game at MSG. Everyone thought it was over. They’d wrap it up and celebrate a five-game victory.

Nobody told the Canucks. To their credit, they didn’t give up easily. After blowing a 3-0 lead in the third period with Messier tying the game, Bure fed Dave Babych for a crushing go-ahead goal 29 seconds later. Then, Courtnall and Bure scored less than a minute apart for a Vancouver 6-3 win to extend the series.

At that point, I knew the Rangers weren’t winning Game Six in Vancouver. Going three-for-three at their arena was impossible. In fact, before the Blues took Game Seven the other day to win three out of four games at Boston to win their first ever Cup, it happened only once when the 2000 Devils did it to the Stars winning three there.

Sure enough, the Vancouver crowd was wild creating a unbelievable atmosphere for their team. The Canucks responded to the overwhelming support to easily win Game Six 4-1. Both Brown and Courtnall tallied twice while Kovalev got the only Ranger goal. Those fans celebrated as if their team had won the Cup. It was scary.

Thank God there was an extra day off before Game Seven. Of course, there were all these rumors swirling about the coach leaving the Big Apple to take the job with Detroit. They were upset by the Sharks in the first round. There also were questions for Leetch and Messier due to each missing shifts in the last game. Typical mind games from Keenan.

Of course, Leetch smiled and said contrary to all the silly reports, he’d be at MSG and ready to play Game Seven. It was the biggest game of their lives. The most pressure packed game for the Stanley Cup!

They had to win. So much was riding on the line. None of the stuff they accomplished during a season in which they won a then franchise record 52 games and had 112 points mattered. Far more than the scrappy, but skilled Canucks. The funny part is if you put that Vancouver team up against most teams today, they’d win. They were talented and deep. There are no Pavel Bure type players in today’s game. Not even Ovechkin. If the Russian Rocket played today with the ridiculous rules, he’d light it up. He was still scoring close to 60 goals during the dead puck era with teams trapping.

In watching the game on MSG tonight, I’m still amazed at the amount of skill, skating, physicality and to quote JD, “Snarl,” there was. In particular, Momesso was stirring things up. He sure got away with a lot in Game Seven. An uncalled slash to a fallen Anderson that cut his nose. There was also a cross check. That’s the kind of physical player he was. To hear Davidson tell it on the telecast, he was doing his job. Of course, he chuckled next to Rosen because back then, they let a lot of stuff go. To win, you had to be disciplined.

On that special night, the Rangers were. They hit back too. Leetch dished out a clean hip check. They forechecked with vigor. A strategy the coaching staff wanted to see following the recent losses that allowed the pesky Canucks to square the series.

They played a perfect first period to take a 2-0 lead. First, it was Messier who drew defenders after gaining the Vancouver zone. He passed for leading regular season scorer Sergei Zubov, who pinched in. With so much room, I think everyone thought he’d shoot. But the thing about the very skilled Russian defenseman who deserves inclusion into the Hockey Hall of Fame is he was very patient with unbelievable vision. Sure enough, it paid off with this wonderful pass to a wide open Leetch for the game’s first goal into an open net with McLean out of position.

With the crowd going nuts, a strong shift by the checking line resulted in a power play. MacTavish did a great job continuing to skate with the puck behind the net to force Lumme to take an obvious holding penalty. What followed was magic.

I still don’t know how Zubov did what he did on the rush. The Canucks stood up at the blueline like they’re supposed to. They just didn’t anticipate Zubov somehow sneaking a pass through to a cutting Kovalev, who then threaded the needle to a wide open Graves, who buried his first goal of the series past McLean. Even 25 years later, all I can say is, ‘Wow.’

That’s how special Zubov was. While Leetch got all the ink deservedly so for the 34 points (11-23-34) he put up to become the first American player to win the Conn Smythe, it’s unreal how good the Russian born defenseman was. After pacing the team with 89 points including a jaw dropping 77 assists in the regular season, he wound up with 19 points (5-14-19) in the postseason. That included a pair of assists that set up the Rangers’ first two goals. He also was a huge part of the Stars only Cup in ’99. What a terrific player.

One thing about the Canucks is they never caved. Despite the crazy atmosphere and all the noise after one period, they never gave up. During a key penalty kill, Linden got behind Leetch and carried the puck with the Rangers top defenseman draped all over him. Already having drawn a hooking minor penalty, somehow Linden had the strength to get off a great backhand that beat Richter for a shorthanded goal. Here’s how it looked:

As scary as Bure was throughout the whole series and in particular one flat out dominant shift in the first where he basically skated around all five Rangers without scoring due to diligent defense, Linden was his team’s best player that hot summer night. He would really tighten the screws with a power play goal early in the third later that gave everyone anxiety.

Still leading 2-1, the Rangers continued to press the attack. In search of the third goal in response to Linden’s brilliant shorthanded goal, they drew two penalties. After the Canucks killed the first one off, a forechecking Kovalev drew a tripping minor to give them another chance.

In what can best be described as the goal that really wasn’t Messier’s, he got credit for the eventual Cup winner on a scramble in front of McLean’s net. Zubov fed Graves in the slot. He took a low shot that caromed off McLean for a rebound. Noonan then got a stick on the puck sending it towards the net. With Messier in the vicinity, The Captain went to bat it in. But after all these years, it’s fairly obvious the puck deflected off Lumme before going in for a 3-1 Rangers lead. Boy, would they need it.

Even though Messier got credit for his 12th of the playoffs from Graves and Noonan at 13:29 of the second, at that point I knew they wouldn’t score again. In my history class that day at Staten Island Tech, Mr. Bennett had some fun with a final score pool. I didn’t participate because I couldn’t. I was too superstitious. The only thing I thought is the Rangers would win by a score of 3-2. I was still confident despite what had happened.

https://www.hockey-reference.com/boxscores/199406140NYR.html

And so, as the Canucks continued to apply the pressure by forcing the acrobatic Richter into some tough saves, the third period would be the longest of our lives. As Davidson put it at one critical point in the third following Linden’s second of the game on a wonderful Courtnall set up, “Time isn’t moving fast enough for the Rangers.”

It wasn’t either for the fans who were lucky enough to be in the building or for us at home. You were literally sweating bullets as it went on.

It wasn’t so much that the Rangers sat back. They didn’t. They had their opportunities to increase the lead back to two. But McLean was good just as he was in Game One. He also had some luck with Lowe hitting the goalpost.

The goalpost would play an enormous role the rest of the way. So too would the crossbar. Richter’s best friend. First came a close call with six and a half minutes left when Martin Gelinas had Richter down and hit the post. The puck was cleared away.

Then came this insane moment where Rosen screamed, “Save by Richter!!!!!” If he did get a piece of the Nathan LaFayette shot, wow. He might’ve. Here’s how it looked and sounded with five and a half minutes remaining:

Even the legendary CBC play by play announcer Bob Cole thought Richter saved it. But as JD later analyzed when they returned from commercial break, it hit the outside of the goalpost. It was that close.

I think after those two close calls, it settled down the Rangers. They played much better defensively. Even the great Bure couldn’t create another scary moment. Neither could Linden. Each was double shifted by the late Pat Quinn. A great coach who never won the big one despite having some excellent teams in Vancouver and Toronto.

The Rangers locked in and played superb defense in the final few minutes. Even when the Canucks got a chance in the Ranger zone, the players did whatever it took to prevent them from forcing Richter into a tough save. Zubov slickly tripped Bure up behind the net with over 90 seconds left. I wonder if they ever discussed that moment over coffee or in Russia, preferably vodka. 😁

One is in the Hall of Fame while the other is still waiting. Hopefully, it’s later this November in Toronto for Zubov and also Jeremy Roenick and Alexander Mogilny.

In watching the final frantic moments, the refs literally let everything go. At least three different times, the Canucks had awful line changes that could’ve resulted in bench minors. If it were today, that wouldn’t be missed. But they miss everything else these days. So yeah. It evens out.

When Larmer cleared the zone, it was over. Or so we thought. Instead, with Bure hardly skating because he thought it was over, they called icing with 1.6 seconds left. It sorta ruined Rosen’s dramatic call. But he still had it finally when MacTavish boxed out Bure with Messier giving him a love tap. In fact, they blew two calls in he last minute by calling icings that weren’t.

Back then, we were mad. It could’ve meant the difference between the Rangers making history or umm… It’s better left unsaid. Nobody wanted a repeat of Valeri Zelepukin in the other memorable Game Seven. The one that gave us, “Matteau! Matteau! Matteau!”

Anyway, here it is. The special moment that will last a Lifetime!

It sure has. A quarter of a century has gone by and although we are all older, not much has changed. I’m not referring to technology or social media. I’m talking about how special that Magic Moment still is. It still gives me chills. It remains the most special championship I’ve ever seen. That includes the ’96 Yankees along with ’98-00, ’09 and all four Giants Super Bowls.

The New York Rangers winning the Stanley Cup supersedes everything. Magnificent. The Cup celebration was incredible and the Parade down the Canyon of Heroes was even better. What a hot day that was. The “Let’s Go Rangers,” chants on the Ferry were unbelievable. So too was somehow finding my best friend Ivan in the maze that was a wild crowd in the city.

It’s all still so amazing. I can only hope they find a way to win one more for all the younger generation that didn’t get the chance to experience 1994. God willing.

Thank you for June 14, 1994. Happy Anniversary 🎉!!!!!

Posted in Battle News | 2 Comments

Binnington’s astonishing Game Seven and O’Reilly’s dominance lead Blues to first ever Stanley Cup

Posted on June 13, 2019 by Derek

The St. Louis Blues are Stanley Cup champions for the first time in their 52-year history. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NY Times.

On Wednesday night in Boston, the St. Louis Blues made history. For the first time in their 52-year history, they won the Stanley Cup.

The Blues are Stanley Cup champions thanks to the amazing play of unflappable rookie goalie Jordan Binnington, and the dominance of Ryan O’Reilly. It was that tandem that led a team that once was last overall in January to their first ever championship.

The moment many have waited a lifetime to see happen!!! Celebrate, St. Louis!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/xTzDHsiO8Z

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) June 13, 2019

In winning Game Seven over the host Bruins 4-1 at a stunned TD Garden, the Blues became the first ever Stanley Cup champion to have a losing home record and win the most prestigious trophy. They did it the hard way by taking three of four road games in Boston to make history.

The hockey version of the Road Warriors finished their Cup run 10-3 away from St. Louis. By comparison, they went 6-7 at home. It doesn’t matter how you get it done. As other great former champions can testify like the ’95 Devils, ’00 Devils and more recently the ’18 Capitals, it’s indeed possible to be successful in the NHL Playoffs by winning 10 games on the road.

Every path to a championship is different. In every round, St. Louis found itself with a unique challenge. From edging the higher seeded Winnipeg Jets in six to having to go two overtimes before hometown hero Pat Maroon delivered the second round series clincher, they worked their tails off every round. They wore down the Sharks in the Western Conference Final to prevail in six. Then, after being unable to wrap it up on home ice during a strong Game Six from the Bruins, they summoned up the energy and resiliency to become the third successive road team to win the Cup in a Game Seven.

Ironically, it was the 2011 Bruins who ended a 39-year drought by winning a road Game Seven over the Canucks by a similar 4-0 score. Unfortunately for them, the Blues flipped the script by getting a super performance from Binnington, who made 32 saves to backstop his team to a 4-1 victory in Beantown.

Ryan O'Reilly tips home the opening goal of #Game7! #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/v5wJHiMFRn

— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) June 13, 2019

Conn Smythe winner O’Reilly scored the game’s first goal with 3:13 left in an otherwise lopsided first period on a wonderful deflection of a Jay Bouwmeester shot past Tuukka Rask. It was only the Blues’ third shot. Their fourth also went in when a very bad change by Brad Marchand with less than 10 seconds remaining allowed Jaden Schwartz to find a pinching Alex Pietrangelo for a wicked backhand top shelf with 7.5 seconds left in the period. A back breaking goal the Bruins never recovered from.

Somehow, Boston trailed 2-0 after flat out dominating the action. They carried the play by such a wide margin, it was insane. However, a laser focused Binnington wouldn’t allow his team to fall behind. He stoned the Bruins at every turn by denying glorious scoring chances to keep the game scoreless. There was a very tough snag of a dangerous Marchand shot through traffic on a Boston power play. There was a strong denial of a Patrice Bergeron one-timer from the slot on the same power play.

Binnington was in such a zone that he absolutely robbed both David Krejci and Marcus Johansson point blank on great moves that included dekes where you felt for sure they would result in Bruins goals. Not last night. Johansson also was stopped on a dangerous backhand rebound. He was left shaking his head. That’s how well the unheralded 25-year old rookie netminder played.

As usually happens in such games, all it takes is one good scoring chance and shot to put some doubt into the favorite’s heads. Sure enough, it was a big hit by Blues rookie Sammy Blais that kept a forecheck alive. Eventually, Pietrangelo got the puck over to Bouwmeester, who aimed for O’Reilly’s stick in the high slot. What a redirection it was. It went by Rask so quickly that it was in and out of the net in stunning fashion.

That made it four consecutive games that O’Reilly had scored to become the first player to accomplish that feat since Wayne Gretzky in 1985. He would add an assist later on a Zach Sanford tally with 4:38 left in regulation to erase any doubt. For the series, the former Sabre center finished with nine points (5-4-9). More than anyone else as he dominated to earn Playoff MVP and help the Blues finally win Lord Stanley. It was heroic.

His 23 points are the most ever in one @StLouisBlues postseason.

Ryan O’Reilly is your Conn Smythe Trophy winner! #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/2YfFJTa8FA

— NHL (@NHL) June 13, 2019

So badly outplayed and out-attempted were the Blues in the opening 20 minutes that it had to send shock waves through the entire building. They were up two despite everything. They capitalized on half their shots by finishing on the only two chances they created. The bad Marchand sequence following sustained pressure by the Bergeron line really came back to haunt the Bruins. You never go to the bench to change when the opposition has the puck on a counter attack. That’s what left Pietrangelo so open.

As poorly as they played early, the Blues were stingier in a full second that saw them keep most of the Bruins’ 11 shots to the outside. They did a stellar job slowing down play in the neutral zone. Despite barely any whistles and continuous action, Boston wasn’t able to generate the kind of quality chances they had in the first. That allowed a cool Binnington to make the saves with his teammates taking care of the rebounds.

Astonishingly, they had only 10 shots through two periods while Boston had 23 with double the amount of attempts. In Game Seven, it was a determined and scrappy bunch of Blues who sacrificed for the cause. They blocked 21 shots led by defensive beast Colton Parayko, who had five. Pietrangelo followed up with four and Bouwmeester had three. The trio combined for a dozen blocks. On the contrary, the Bruins only totaled seven due to all the puck possession they had.

It was that kinda game and that kinda series. If you out-attempted your opponent, it didn’t matter. The winner was usually the team that didn’t have as many total attempts. A very strange Stanley Cup. For the game, the Bruins outshot the Blues 33-20 and out-attempted them by an ungodly 62-32. Yet they could only solve Binnington once with Matt Grzelcyk finally beating him with only 2:10 left in the third period to erase the shutout bid. One the first-year goalie deserved.

One advantage St. Louis had was the choppy ice. Once they grabbed the two-goal lead before the conclusion of the first, it was gonna be an uphill climb for the Bruins. Plays were hard to make with the puck bouncing around. Such ice makes it harder on a team trying to come back. Combined with the Blues sitting back by standing up at their blueline, it made life very difficult for the home team.

Boston didn’t help itself either. On a night only one penalty was called by a good officiating crew of Chris Rooney, Kelly Sutherland and Gord Dwyer, the Bruins pressed in the middle stanza. Rather than go for the simple play by taking shots on Binnington like they had in the first, they tried to make too many East/West plays with passes that got easily intercepted by a disciplined St. Louis defense.

By the time the desperate third rolled around, time was running out. They sure came out with great urgency. There were so many rushes and sustained pressure in the St. Louis zone. Shots were fired from everywhere. It took an unbelievable Binnington save on Joakim Nordstrom with over 11 minutes left to basically send a message. On a glorious rebound, it looked like Nordstrom had a sure goal that would’ve made it 2-1, changing the whole game. Instead, a sprawling Binnington stoned him point blank to stun the Boston crowd.

Take a bow, Jordan Binnington. pic.twitter.com/RnS41k4Kzk

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 13, 2019

Not long after, the Blues top line came on a three-on-two rush with Schwartz passing for Vladimir Tarasenko, who threaded the needle for a bullet from Brayden Schenn past a helpless Rask for the coup de grace that made it 3-0 with 8:35 left. A perfect passing play due to the Bruins getting caught.

Sanford added the finishing touches from David Perron and O’Reilly with 4:38 to go. Perron came so close last year with Vegas. In his third tour of duty with the team that drafted him, he was finally a Stanley Cup Champion. A good player no matter where he played.

Sure. Boston coach Bruce Cassidy pulled Rask for an extra attacker. While Grzelcyk ended the shutout at 17:50, it was far too late. It wasn’t to be for the Bruins as they dropped the first ever Stanley Cup home Game Seven in their building. It also marked the first home Game Seven in Boston since the 1984 NBA Finals when the Larry Bird led Celtics held off the Magic Johnson led Lakers to win the NBA Title.

It’s funny how sports work. You can play a very good game and lose like Boston did. You can struggle which the Blues clearly did, but get bailed out by your netminder as Binnington provided in both Games Five and Seven on the road. That’s how I would explain this series and the astonishing St. Louis run to its first Stanley Cup. They were resilient from the net out.

Congrats to the @nhlbruins for a hard-fought series and a great season. pic.twitter.com/Vrn4ZeiEV0

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) June 13, 2019

When it was over, the traditional handshake took place. It was a bit odd to see Binnington at the front shaking hands quickly with courageous Bruins captain Zdeno Chara and a dejected Rask, who was the main reason his team got to this point. Sometimes, that’s hockey. Where even when your best player does everything he can, all it takes is the opposing hot goalie and an opportunistic opponent to put four past him on only 20 shots. Had the Bruins won, it was Rask who would’ve won Conn Smythe.

Jordan Binnington's 32 saves are the most by a rookie goalie to clinch the Stanley Cup Final since the league began tracking shots on goal in 1955-56. pic.twitter.com/TBjjjMUroq

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 13, 2019

The Blues perseverance and heavy forecheck won out. But it was the brilliant play of the goalie Binnington, who won the series by stealing the deciding seventh game. They did it for inspirational 11-year old superfan Laila Anderson.

Blues superfan/good luck charm Laila Anderson told me she has “a gift for calling the first goal.”

Before the game, she told her mom Ryan O’Reilly would score first. Her mom was skeptical.

Laila: “Mom, two things: you should never doubt ROR, and you should never doubt me.” pic.twitter.com/dPuDXL1iJQ

— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) June 13, 2019

When the loudly booed NHL commissioner Gary Bettman presented the Conn Smythe to O’Reilly and the Cup to Pietrangelo, who had himself a night with a goal, assist and stellar defense, the overjoyed Blues let out plenty of F bombs on NBC, which had to cringe. At least they did an interview with Pierre McGuire and Pietrangelo and showed the handshake and half of the Cup being passed around before cutting away for the local 11 o’clock news.

Blues' Ryan O'Reilly had the most Canadian reaction after dropping a celebratory f-bomb 😂🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/rQKy5nITfT

— Hockey Night in Canada (@hockeynight) June 13, 2019

It still ceases to amaze me how they could go to commercial in the middle of a historic St. Louis Blues celebration. Network TV folks. This is the NHL partner. They eventually moved over to NBCSN where the rest of the Cup celebration continued with more bleeps and more cool fun by a team who deserved the win by earning it against a worthy opponent.

It marked the third successive time the road team prevailed in a winner take all Game Seven for the Cup. Prior to the 2009 Penguins and 2011 Bruins, the home team had won six in a row. The last road team to win a Game Seven for Lord Stanley was the ’71 Canadiens, who rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Blackhawks 3-2 at the old Chicago Stadium. Here’s how things look since:

STANLEY CUP GAME SEVEN

May 31, 1987 Philadelphia Flyers 1 Edmonton Oilers 3

June 14, 1994 Vancouver Canucks 2 New York Rangers 3

June 9, 2001 New Jersey Devils 1 Colorado Avalanche 3

June 9, 2003 Anaheim Mighty Ducks 0 New Jersey Devils 3

June 7, 2004 Calgary Flames 1 Tampa Bay Lightning 2

June 19, 2006 Edmonton Oilers 1 Carolina Hurricanes 3

June 12, 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins 2 Detroit Red Wings 1

June 16, 2011 Boston Bruins 4 Vancouver Canucks 0

June 12, 2019 St. Louis Blues 4 Boston Bruins 1

Here’s the question. Is home ice no longer the same? It sure seems like it. Having seen the 2015 Rangers go into Tampa and dominate them to win Game Six and then turn into pumpkins in a mind numbing 2-0 shutout in Game Seven at MSG to lose the Eastern Conference Final, the lasting image is of them getting shutout twice in Games Five and Seven on their home ice under former coach Alain Vigneault. Hard to fathom.

It’s not what it once was. The play is more even and unpredictable. That’s why I didn’t pick a winner last night. Because I actually didn’t know what would happen. Just ask the President’s Trophy winning Lightning what home ice meant after getting swept by the Blue Jackets.

We’ve seen road teams go far before. Lower seeds like the Kings winning their first Cup in 2012. Two years later, they came back from a 3-0 deficit to stun the Sharks in the first round. The Flyers did it in 2010 to the Bruins en route to a Stanley Cup Final before getting beaten by the Blackhawks in six games.

Things are much different now. Upsets are more common. The parity is real. Anything can happen in the postseason. If it weren’t true, you wouldn’t have had the Hurricanes going into DC and stunning the Caps in sudden death. Eventually, making it to the Conference Final before Rask stoned them in a four-game sweep.

So, what will happen a year from now? Nobody can predict. I think my predicting days are coming to an end. What’s the point? I never get anything right. Most don’t.

Now, it’s onto the offseason with the huge first round of the NHL Draft next Friday on June 21. Decision time for the Devils on Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko with the Rangers patiently waiting for their consolation prize. Then, a buyout period and negotiating between teams and Group II free agents like Brayden Point. Trade discussions centering around rumored players Jacob Trouba, Phil Kessel and Jason Zucker.

Then finally, July 1. A national holiday for puckers.

Well, it’s been a fun season. Way too long in my opinion. But the offseason will make up for it. Cya soon. 🙂

Posted in Stanley Cup | Tagged 2019 NHL Playoffs, Alex Pietrangelo, Blues, Boston, Brad Marchand, Brayden Schenn, Bruins, Colton Parayko, Conn Smythe, David Krejci, Game Seven, Jaden Schwartz, Jay Bouwmeester, Joakim Nordstrom, Jordan Binnington, Marcus Johansson, Matt Grzelcyk, NBC, Pat Maroon, Patrice Bergeron, Pierre McGuire, Ryan O'Reilly, St. Louis, Stanley-Cup, Tuukka Rask, Vladimir Tarasenko | Leave a comment

It’s do or die for Blues and Bruins in Game Seven

Posted on June 12, 2019 by Derek

There’s a Game Seven for the Stanley Cup tonight in Boston. It’s do or die for the Blues and Bruins at TD Garden on NBC. The fun begins at 8 PM on the network that just might have a postgame interview or two along with the traditional handshake before cutting away to the morbid 11 o’clock news.

Here’s hoping it goes three overtimes. That’s what they deserve for not showing any player interview following these big games before the news. Even if most of us can channel flip to NBCSN for the full postgame, it doesn’t make it right.

After all, it is the Stanley Cup! Someone will win and someone will lose. There’s no greater theatre than a deciding Game Seven for the most prestigious trophy in all of sports. It hasn’t happened since the Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 to become the second road team in three years to win a seventh game in 2011. They took the final two games to win Lord Stanley for the first time since 1972.

Now, it’s eight years later. This time, the Bruins are trying to become the first team to rally from a 3-2 series deficit to win the Cup twice. Only they are the home team tonight. The last two Game Seven’s haven’t been kind to the host. In 2009, the Penguins held on to beat the Red Wings 2-1 to dethrone the defending champs at Joe Louis Arena. Nicklas Lidstrom was stoned by Marc-Andre Fleury right before the buzzer.

Prior to the ’08-09 Pens and ’10-11 Bruins winning Game Seven on the road, here’s how it went:

May 31, 1987 Philadelphia Flyers 1 Edmonton Oilers 3

June 14, 1994 Vancouver Canucks 2 New York Rangers 3

June 9, 2001 New Jersey Devils 1 Colorado Avalanche 3

June 9, 2003 Anaheim Mighty Ducks 0 New Jersey Devils 3

June 7, 2004 Calgary Flames 1 Tampa Bay Lightning 2

June 19, 2006 Edmonton Oilers 1 Carolina Hurricanes 3

So basically, the home team had the big edge. The last two have gone to the road team.

Can the Blues make it three for the last three? It’s possible. They’ll have to play a perfect game. That means get off quickly and withstand the Bruins pressure that will only intensity due to the tribute to Boston Red Sox hero David Ortiz. He’s recovering from successful surgery due to a gunshot wound after senseless violence in his home country, the Dominican Republic.

St. Louis needs to stay out of the penalty box. They have taken some very undisciplined penalties in the three losses. That included the dopey Brayden Schenn boarding minor followed by Ryan O’Reilly’s delay of game that allowed Brad Marchand to convert on a two-man advantage. They’ll also need the big saves from rookie Jordan Binnington. After a brilliant Game Five where he stopped all 17 Boston shots in a busy first period en route to 38 saves, he wasn’t as good in Game Six.

The Bruins will want to use the energy of their crowd to get off to a good start. The key match-up remains the same. The vaunted top line centered by Patrice Bergeron against Schenn. Though it’s been O’Reilly who’s done the heavy lifting for the Blues with seven points (4-3-7) in the Stanley Cup. Both Marchand and David Pastrnak came to life last game with a goal and assist each to help stave off elimination. Jake Debrusk played a pivotal role picking up two assists. Tuukka Rask stood tall to thwart the Blues on the power play.

So, who wins? I don’t know. It’s been a strange series full of momentum shifts. It could depend on who can dictate better. St. Louis uses its size and strength to create a heavy forecheck. If they can exert their physicality, they have a chance. Boston uses its defense and quick transition game to counter attack. If they win the puck battles and match the Blues like last game, they’ll win.

It’s worth noting that there are five holdovers from that 2011 Stanley Cup team. They are Bergeron, Marchand, Rask, David Krejci and captain Zdeno Chara. We’ll see if that championship experience is a factor.

Both the Devils and Rangers will be represented either way. If it’s Boston, then John Moore and Marcus Johansson get their names on the Cup. If it’s St. Louis, you’d have Pat Maroon and likely Michael Del Zotto. So yeah. There is a Hudson Rivalry feel.

Enjoy the game. May the best team win.

Posted in Stanley Cup | Tagged Blues, Brad Marchand, Brayden Schenn, Bruins, David Krejci, David Pastrnak, Game Seven, John Moore, Jordan Binnington, Marcus Johansson, Pat Maroon, Patrice Bergeron, Ryan O'Reilly, Stanley-Cup, Tuukka Rask, Zdeno Chara | Leave a comment

The best thing about Game Six

Posted on June 10, 2019 by Derek

Tuukka Rask makes an unbelievable save to deny Alex Pietrangelo with help from Charlie McAvoy. AP Photo via Getty Images.

The Bruins took Game Six from the Blues by a count of 5-1 to force a winner take all Game Seven. That means it’ll be two teams fighting tooth and nail for the Stanley Cup in Boston on Wednesday night.

On a disappointing night for the Blues, here was the best thing about Game Six. With it being in championship starved St. Louis, the Blues rolled out Bob Plager, Brett Hull and Bernie Federko to pump up the crowd. As usual, Hull was in a wild and crazy mood. Take a look.

Brett Hull is ready to #PlayGloria 😂🎶#StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/zpIcqoUOLk

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 10, 2019

Taking the mic from Plager, he yelled “Let’s Go Blues,” before he had it. Then went over to all-time Blues great Federko and screamed, “Bernie Federko. The greatest of all time! Let’s Go Blues!!!”

It really was hilarious. Hull must be a lot of fun to be around. I can’t imagine what he must’ve been like during road trips as a player.

As for the game, it didn’t go as planned. There was no Stanley Cup celebration. Boston guaranteed that by outplaying St. Louis in net and on the scoreboard.

What a save by Tuukka Rask. Snatched right out the air pic.twitter.com/qIgyjYGZpo

— Evan Marinofsky (@EvanMarinofsky) June 10, 2019

Tuukka Rask was outstanding making 28 saves including a few critical ones in the first period following Brad Marchand converting a five-on-three power play. Rask stood tall in the second when the Blues applied pressure on the power play. But they couldn’t beat Rask, who got a bit of help from the post and Charlie McAvoy to prevent Alex Pietrangelo from tying it.

The backbreaker was scored by defensive defenseman Brandon Carlo, whose point shot took a weird deflection and dipped under Jordan Binnington for a 2-0 Bruins lead. Inserted by coach Bruce Cassidy, little known speedy forward Karson Kuhlman delivered a knockout blow with a nice snipe off a David Krejci pass. It was Krejci’s first point of the series.

Even when the Blues score, they barely beat Tuukka Rask. 3-1 Bruins pic.twitter.com/dSSojj39oY

— Evan Marinofsky (@EvanMarinofsky) June 10, 2019

The only St. Louis shot that beat Rask almost didn’t. He nearly made an unbelievable save on Ryan O’Reilly. But video review confirmed that the entire puck crossed the line despite Rask getting his pad on it. It was O’Reilly’s third straight game with a goal. He has seven points in the series and is the Blues favorite for the Conn Smythe if they can win on the road.

.@pastrnak96 makes it 4-1! 🍝🍝 #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/Af0bgLwgcP

— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) June 10, 2019

Some great hustle from Jake Debrusk allowed Marchand to set up David Pastrnak for the put away. Zdeno Chara scored an empty netter with his full cage mask protecting his broken jaw. He played over 22 minutes. It’s amazing.

The bottom line is the Bruins were better where it mattered. They got clutch goaltending from leading Conn Smythe candidate Rask. Their best players showed up. Patrice Bergeron freed up a loose puck to allow Pastrnak to set up Marchand for the game’s first goal.

Debrusk made a good play along the boards to allow for Carlo to score. He was instrumental in the win recording two assists and delivering two critical blocks without a stick on a penalty kill. Both Marchand and Pastrnak had their best games of the series with each scoring a goal and assist. Krejci was much more effective throughout, intercepting a Pietrangelo pass in the neutral zone to feed Kuhlman for his goal.

St. Louis wasn’t as sharp throughout. Their forecheck was good at moments, but they couldn’t beat Rask. Boston did a better job defending and used their back check to break up plays and counter. They played with more urgency which you’d expect in an elimination game.

Now, it’s do or die. Someone will win the Cup. The other will leave the ice in tears. It’ll be emotional.

The Blues have proven they are more than capable of winning on the road. They’re 2-1 at TD Garden in the series. They’ll have to make it 3-1 to celebrate and play, “Gloria.”

Road teams have won the Cup in Game Seven twice over the decade. The ’08-09 Penguins did it against the Red Wings thanks to a last second Marc-Andre Fleury save on Nicklas Lidstrom.

Ironically, the ’10-11 Bruins also did it by shutting out the Canucks 4-0 to win their first Cup since 1972. That championship team went a perfect 4-0 when facing elimination. The current ’18-19 Bruins improved to 3-0 when facing elimination last night. They avoided elimination in the first round by defeating the Maple Leafs in Game Six and Game Seven.

Either they’ll do it again and repeat history or the Blues will finally deliver a Stanley Cup to St. Louis. We’ll see what happens.

Posted in Stanley Cup | Tagged Alex Pietrangelo, Bernie Federko, Blues, Bob Plager, Brad Marchand, Brandon Carlo, Brett Hull, Bruins, David Krejci, David Pastrnak, Game Seven, Game Six, Gloria, Jordan Binnington, Karson Kuhlman, Patrice Bergeron, Ryan O'Reilly, Stanley-Cup, Tuukka Rask, Zdeno Chara | Leave a comment

HARD HITS: How the Jeff Skinner contract by Sabres sets up the market

Posted on June 9, 2019 by Derek

IT’S DONE!

We have signed forward Jeff Skinner to an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $9 million: https://t.co/X4sumuHW7H pic.twitter.com/Wwzk9qbPSk

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) June 8, 2019

The much rumored new contract for Jeff Skinner finally came to fruition. The Buffalo Sabres made it official by announcing the re-signing of Skinner for the max of eight years worth $72 million. That’s an average of $9 million per season.

If you’re keeping track, that is overpayment. But Buffalo had to do it. They couldn’t afford to let Skinner go to July where he could’ve left. After coming over from Carolina last summer, he was their leading goal scorer. For the first time in his eight year career, the recently turned 27-year old forward reached 40 goals while teaming up with leading scorer Jack Eichel (28-54-82) on the top line.

Skinner also paced the Sabres in game-winners (7) and tied Eichel with eight power play goals. His 32 even strength goals were the most on the club. Of his 63 points, 47 came at even strength. An excellent percentage. His 14.9 shooting percentage topped all Buffalo skaters, just edging Sam Reinhardt, who posted a career high 65 points (22-43-65) while forming good chemistry with Eichel and Skinner. Reinhardt has one year left on his contract with a cap hit of $3.75 million. He’ll be a restricted free agent next year.

In regards to Skinner, he’s now hit 63 points three times. That’s the magic number. He’s also gone over 30 goals or more four times. So, he’s a good player. The only concern is consistency. In Carolina, he’s had seasons where his production dropped off. Part of that could’ve been talent. Playing with Eichel should help him avoid a tailspin.

By receiving an AAV of $9 million on his new deal, he certainly has helped set up the market this summer. If the Islanders giving Brock Nelson an AAV of $6 million positively impacted Kevin Hayes and future Rangers 2020 UFA Chris Kreider, then Skinner’s contract does the same for big name free agents Artemi Panarin and Matt Duchene. Each should receive somewhere in the neighborhood of between 10 to 11 million on average.

We knew that going in. Panarin is the top scoring forward that’ll be available. He concluded his fourth NHL season with new career bests in assists (59), points (87), even strength points (69) and game-winning goals (8). After going 28-59-87 in the regular season for Columbus, the diminutive 27-year old Russian led the Blue Jackets with 11 points (5-6-11) in the playoffs.

Although he didn’t get his footing right away with a dozen points in 23 games after being acquired from Ottawa, Duchene played well during his first postseason. He helped Columbus advance to the second round for the first time by going 5-5-10 with two game deciders including a flair for the dramatic in overtime. That performance certainly boosted his value. There should be plenty of interested suitors for the first line center who scored 31 goals and had 39 assists to reach 70 points for the second time in his decade long career. He’s already played for three teams in Colorado, Ottawa and Columbus.

Assuming Russian tandem Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky are gone, I could see the Blue Jackets going hard to re-sign Duchene. They need to retain the top center. If not, they are set up to lose their top three free agents. That doesn’t even factor in rental Ryan Dzingel or veteran defenseman Adam McQuaid, who missed the playoffs with a possible concussion.

Columbus looks like they’ll take it on the chin on July 1. If ever a team that made the playoffs could look vastly different, it’s them. They’ll still have defensemen Seth Jones and Zach Werenski (RFA) anchoring the blueline. But it’ll hinge on key forwards Pierre-Luc Dubois, Cam Atkinson, Josh Anderson, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Nick Foligno, Boone Jenner, and forgotten center Alex Wennberg, who coach John Tortorella had no use for in the postseason.

Goalie will be a giant question mark. Joonas Korpisalo is unproven except as a backup. The Blue Jackets recently signed Latvian Elvis Merzlikins to a one-year contract to compete for the starting job. On a more positive front, goalie prospect Veini Vehvilainen recently was named the top Finland goalie for a second consecutive year. The 22-year old recently signed an entry level contract after going an impressive 25-8-5 with a 1.58 GAA (goals-against-average), .933 save percentage and six shutouts for Karpat. He went 11-6 in the playoffs while posting a 1.47 GAA with four shutouts and a .939 save percentage. Karpat advanced to Game 7 before losing in the championship round.

While things will dramatically change in Columbus, other teams will try to load up following the NHL Draft. It’s hard to believe the Stanley Cup could conclude later tonight. If the Blues win Game Six at home over the Bruins, they’ll make history with their first championship. If not, Game Seven would be Wednesday in Boston.

Once it ends, the focus will be on who the Devils select on June 21 in Vancouver. Jack Hughes or Kaapo Kakko. All indications are that GM Ray Shero will go for the American playmaking center. That would leave the Finnish power wing Kakko for the Rangers. Both Hudson rivals will improve for ’19-20. How much could depend on what else each does this offseason.

The Devils have a tough decision to make on former Hart winner Taylor Hall. Next summer, he’s unrestricted. If Skinner is worth $9 million, then Hall is worth at least $11 million. He’s topped 90 points and carried the Devils to the playoffs. If he’s unwilling to sign an extension, does Shero shop him?

The Rangers are facing a similar situation with Chris Kreider. With a year left on his contract, he can test the waters next July. If new Team President John Davidson and GM Jeff Gorton decide the valuable power forward is worth keeping, the cost should be around $6.5 million AAV. Even though he’s never reached 30 goals, Kreider has topped 50 points in two of the last three seasons. Health is the key for the 28-year old. If they decide to move him, a player of his caliber won’t be easy to replace.

Of course, the Blueshirts are expected to be in on Panarin, who’ll draw considerable interest around the league. The Panthers are the favorites to get him due to the possibility of signing Sergei Bobrovsky. Plus they have the unfair advantage of offering money that’s tax free. Similar to Vegas after they traded for and signed Mark Stone. The $9.5 million AAV looks like a bargain for the two-way point-per-game forward who’s up for the Selke. Especially compared to Skinner.

Anders Lee presents the next crop of free agents that should draw interest. A former 40-goal scorer, the Islanders captain has posted three consecutive seasons of 50 points or better. Over that span, he’s totaled 102 goals with a nice balance of 69 at even strength and 33 on the power play. That’s due to the gritty style he plays. The soon to be 29-year old gets in front of the net and is adept at tipping pucks. He plays a similar style to former Ranger Adam Graves. Lee won’t get top dollar like the marquee stars, but he should be between $6.5 to 7 million AAV. Along with Robin Lehner, he’ll be a top priority for GM Lou Lamoriello.

The best defenseman available is Erik Karlsson. Following the postseason in which he put up 16 points (2-14-16) for the Sharks before breaking down in the Western Conference Final against the Blues, the 29-year old former Norris winner underwent successful groin surgery. He’s expected to make a full recovery in time for the start of next season. Who will he play for? Is it really true that he’d consider a Ottawa reunion due to wife Melinda? Would it make sense for the rebuilding Senators? Would the Canadiens really be in on the injury prone Karlsson when they’re already paying Shea Weber top dollar? They also have good right D Jeff Petry under contract through 2021. Karl Alzner is a buyout candidate.

Karlsson will command $11 million. He is still a superb skating and puck possession player with tremendous offensive skills. His precision passing is so effective on the power play. But his defense will continue to be an issue due to the injuries he’s played through in runs with Ottawa and San Jose. It’s hard for him to turn and he was caught on for a lot of goals against at even strength during the playoffs. That makes him a big risk for anyone who commits long-term.

Tyler Myers provides an alternative. But he won’t come cheap. He recovered nicely playing for Winnipeg in their top four. If they’re intent on trading restricted free agent Jacob Trouba, who’ll draw considerable interest from the hometown Red Wings along with the Rangers, then they might want to keep Myers. They have some very hard decisions to make due to youngsters Kyle Connor and Patrik Laine being Group II free agents. Ben Chiarot and Brandon Tanev are also unrestricted.

Jack Roslovic might be traded. He wasn’t happy with his role under coach Paul Maurice. A player with promise, he could receive interest from teams looking to add an inexpensive young center with potential.

As summer approaches, it should get more interesting.

BODY CHECKS:

Alex Pietrangelo should merit consideration for the Conn Smythe. The overlooked Blues captain is the anchor of a strong D that includes Colton Parayko, Jay Bouwmeester and Vince Dunn. While most of the focus has been on Jaden Schwartz, Vladimir Tarasenko and rookie Jordan Binnington, it’s Pietrangelo who is the glue. He quietly has 16 points (2-14-16) while providing solid leadership.

A strong Stanley Cup has solidified Ryan O’Reilly’s chances. He’s leading the Blues in playoff scoring with 20 points (6-14-20). Well worth the trade with the Sabres last summer. It’s not like Buffalo had a choice. O’Reilly wanted out.

The Blues have done an outstanding job on the Bruins top line. They’ve taken time and space away from Brad Marchand, who’s been way too passive. He is thinking pass too much instead of shooting. The goalpost he hit in the first period of Game Five didn’t help. Marchand is the engine of that line and also the power play.

Of the trio, Patrice Bergeron has played the best while David Pastrnak has been MIA. One goal in five games isn’t getting it done. Neither has David Krejci’s disappearing act. Mainly due to O’Reilly. Parayko has been a defensive constant for St. Louis. He’s a terrific shutdown defenseman. Taken in the third round the same draft as Brady Skjei.

If it ends tonight, they could always present the Conn Smythe Trophy to the refs from Game Five.

It doesn’t make sense that the Cup is so spread out. Can anyone explain why they didn’t play Game Six on Saturday night following the Belmont Stakes? NBC cares more about their stupid shows on a weekend than the Stanley Cup. Great TV partner.

Zdeno Chara playing after a broken jaw is not only courageous, but demonstrates what playoff hockey is all about. The long standing ovation the Boston captain received from TD Garden was bone chilling. Well deserved.

The Blues aren’t in this position without hometown hero Pat Maroon. Don’t forget his big goals against the Stars including the OT decider in Game Seven. He wanted to come home. It’s a great story.

Maybe the officials can miss more obvious penalties that lead directly to goals and overlook head shots. Thank God it’s almost over.

Posted in Hard Hits | Tagged Alex Pietrangelo, Anders Lee, Artemi Panarin, Blue Jackets, Blues, Brad Marchand, Bruins, Chris Kreider, Colton Parayko, Column, Conn Smythe, David Krejci, David Pastrnak, Devils, Erik Karlsson, Hard Hits, Islanders, Jack Eichel, Jack Hughes, Jaden Schwartz, Jeff Skinner, Kaapo Kakko, Matt Duchene, Pat Maroon, Patrice Bergeron, Rangers, Ryan O'Reilly, Sabres, Sam Reinhardt, Stanley-Cup, Taylor Hall, Vladimir Tarasenko | Leave a comment

Missed call tarnishes Stanley Cup

Posted on June 7, 2019 by Derek

Tyler Bozak looks guilty after he trips up Noel Acciari to keep the play alive for David Perron’s winner in Game Five. AP Photo via Getty Images.

It happened again. Like a broken record, a missed call impacted another big game last night in Boston. The Blues led Game Five by a goal in the third period. Then came another officiating disgrace.

With St. Louis applying forecheck pressure, Tyler Bozak clearly tripped up Bruins forward Noel Acciari. That key play kept the puck alive. Eventually, David Perron had a centering feed bank in off Tuukka Rask for a 2-0 St. Louis lead.

Just before the goal, there was no penalty on Bozak here.. Play continued, even though Acciari appeared injured, because the Blues possessed the puck. pic.twitter.com/BTPff2NCZj

— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) June 7, 2019

Tyler Bozak on the non-call on Acciardi, says it was a puck battle and he wasn’t sure what exactly happened. “But I’ll take it.”
He hasn’t seen a replay of it.

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 7, 2019

Even rival fans who have no love for Boston are up in arms over the controversy. This says it all.

https://twitter.com/JessHa6s/status/1136825606782500867?s=19

The reaction from the Bruins home crowd at TD Garden was predictable. Debris was thrown onto the ice in protest. Sadly, the angry fans were right. It was as bad a miss by an officiating crew in such a crucial game. Their team trailed by a goal against a stingy Blues defense that’s been the difference in the series. They won the game 2-1 to have a chance to win their first Stanley Cup on Sunday in Game Six.

What made it worse is Jake Debrusk scored on a delayed penalty to cut the deficit to 2-1 with 6:28 left in regulation. In essence, the game should’ve been tied. Instead, due to an egregious miss on what was a slew foot by Bozak on a unsuspecting Acciari, who left the game to be checked out for a concussion, the Blues had enough cushion to hang on for the one goal win in Boston.

When the four officials miss such an obvious call, it reflects poorly on the league. That it’s become a staple in the NHL Playoffs is unacceptable. Whether it was a crew missing a hand pass by Timo Meier that resulted in Erik Karlsson scoring in overtime to beat the Blues, or a St. Louis defenseman getting away with a head shot that injured Tomas Hertl, the incompetence has never been worse.

Cheap shots seem to be a St. Louis specialty. This was undetected in the same game on Thursday night.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1136796718257790977?s=19

Fortunately, Marcus Johansson was able to continue. He’s had a history of concussions. But he didn’t miss a shift, and was probably the most effective Bruin. Of course, they’ll have a hearing today with Blues forward Ivan Barbashev.

St. Louis’ Ivan Barbashev will have a hearing today for an Illegal Check to the Head on Boston’s Marcus Johansson.

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) June 7, 2019

So what if he gets suspended. It was another blatant miss by the two refs and two linesmen. There’s also this from the NHL. They seem to have omitted the Bozak trip that put Acciari down leading up to the Perron goal.

Goal No. 7️⃣ of the #StanleyCup Playoffs for @DP_57 holds up as the game-winner. pic.twitter.com/SWCmr9N5Bj

— NHL (@NHL) June 7, 2019

Unbelievable. It’s almost as if they are in denial. Stephen Walkom is another talking head that drew this reaction from me last night.

https://twitter.com/Kovy274Hart/status/1136844905567756288?s=19

Personally, the Blues are the better team. They’ve outplayed the Bruins due to their physical style and heavy forecheck. Time and space have been taken away from the Boston top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and a very disappointing David Pastrnak. David Krejci has been blanketed by Ryan O’Reilly. Colton Parayko and Alex Pietrangelo have dominated the big match-up with their size and defensive positioning.

St. Louis deserves to have a 3-2 series lead with a home Game Six for Lord Stanley. Rookie Jordan Binnington delivered his best game of the postseason by making 38 saves. That included stopping a strong Boston attack with 17 saves in a lopsided first period to keep the game scoreless. When he wasn’t busy making big saves, he had some help from the goalpost on a Marchand high labeler ticketed for the back of the net.

Even if we praise the Blues for showing the same resolve they gave throughout this run by taking Games 4 and 5, it doesn’t prevent us from pointing out the obvious. The officiating has never been worse. There are too many controversies that have marred hockey’s signature tournament. Bad calls should not decide games that were as well played as last night’s. Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said it best.

"I'm a fan of the game. This is the National Hockey League, it's getting a black eye with their officiating this playoffs…it was egregious."

🎥 Bruce Cassidy reacts following the #NHLBruins' Game 5 loss: pic.twitter.com/iyLxzCJTFo

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) June 7, 2019

He’s a fan of the game. Just like all of us. We love the sport. It deserves better than this.

Posted in Column, Stanley Cup | Tagged 2019 NHL Playoffs, Alex Pietrangelo, Blues, Brad Marchand, Bruce Cassidy, Bruins, Colton Parayko, controversy, David Pastrnak, David Perron, Game Five, head shot, Ivan Barbashev, Jordan Binnington, Marcus Johansson, missed calls, Noel Acciari, Patrice Bergeron, Ryan O'Reilly, slew foot, Stanley-Cup, Tyler Bozak | Leave a comment

Flyers deal for Kevin Hayes’ negotiating rights

Posted on June 4, 2019 by Derek

Prior to puck drop for Game Four of the Stanley Cup that the Blues took 4-2 over the Bruins to square the series, the Flyers made some news of their own.

BREAKING: We have acquired forward @KevinPHayes12 from Winnipeg in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. https://t.co/LhPG1pvcmP

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) June 4, 2019

In an interesting move, they acquired Kevin Hayes from Winnipeg for a fifth round draft pick. In doing so, the Flyers now have the rest of June to negotiate with the 27-year old center. If they can reach agreement on a contract, Hayes will be crossed off the market on July 1.

It’s interesting for one reason. Hayes knows new Flyers coach Alain Vigneault. Is a reunion between AV and Hayes likely? Considering he once benched the forward in the playoffs for Tanner Glass, there’s some history.

It’s worth noting that also under Vigneault, Hayes matured into a shutdown center in ’17-18 before his dismissal. The coach liked matching up the Hayes line against top scoring lines of opponents. He became a better player and carried it forward with a career high 55 points (19-36-55) with the Rangers and Jets. A year after posting a career best 25 goals with 17 even strength and two shorthanded, Hayes went 14-28-42 in 51 games for the Rangers, who traded him to Winnipeg for Brendan Lemieux and a 2019 first round pick.

As a rental, he had mixed results under Jets coach Paul Maurice. In 20 games after the trade deadline, Hayes tallied five goals and eight assists. In a disappointing first round defeat to the Blues, he had two goals and an assist in six games.

With the Jets having to focus on other key free agents this offseason, there was little chance Hayes would be back. This confirms that.

If they’re able to sign him, it’s a good risk by the Flyers. They can use a more experienced center for their second line with former 2017 second overall pick Nolan Patrick yet to establish himself. Hayes can slot in behind Sean Couturier on the second line with James van Riemsdyk and either Jakub Voracek or Travis Konecny.

Who knows? You never can tell what the Flyers are thinking. First Vigneault and now possibly Hayes.

Posted in Off Season | Tagged Alain Vigneault, Flyers, Kevin Hayes, Rangers, trade, Winnipeg | Leave a comment

Brett Hull is the Blues version of Ric Flair

Posted on June 4, 2019 by Derek

Leading up to last night’s crucial Game Four, former legendary St. Louis Blue Brett Hull had a message to the raucous environment in St. Louis.

The hype level of @stlouisblues legend Brett Hull before Game 4 began was OFF THE CHARTS 🔥 #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/E7DYa8qo2J

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 4, 2019

It worked. It took Ryan O’Reilly only 43 seconds to score the game’s first goal. He would also notch the game-winner with less than 10 minutes left in regulation as the Blues doubled up the Bruins 4-2 to even the Stanley Cup.

Brayden Schenn added an empty netter to send the series back to Boston tied. Game Five is Thursday.

Watching how pumped up Hull was made me smile. Yeah. He was probably blitzed, but who cares. The Golden Brett energized the crowd and provided the same schtick wrestling legend Ric Flair did. He may as well have screamed, “Wooooooo!!!!!”

St. Louis used the physical style that won them Game Two. They rebounded from a 7-2 humiliation to make the Stanley Cup a best of three. The right players were involved throughout. O’Reilly started and finished it. Vladimir Tarasenko got his third of the series. Schenn sealed it after Tuukka Rask was pulled for an extra attacker. Alex Pietrangelo had the big primary assist when Rask couldn’t control his high riser that caused a rebound for O’Reilly to deposit.

Game Four was the best game so far. It was mostly even despite the Blues’ ferocious hitting. The teams combined for over 80 hits. Vince Dunn returned for the Blues and picked up an assist on O’Reilly’s wrap around.

The loss may have been costly for the Bruins. Zdeno Chara took a shot off his face and left the game in the second period. Even though he returned to the Boston bench with a full cage mask over his stitched face, he didn’t take a shift. It’s possible he suffered a broken jaw.

If the Bruins captain can’t return, that’s a big blow to their chances. Already without Matt Grzelcyk, Boston is using John Moore on the third pair. If Chara can’t go in Game Five, it could spell doom.

The St. Louis size and physicality is taking a toll. It definitely should make for an interesting storyline on Thursday.

Posted in Stanley Cup | Tagged Alex Pietrangelo, Blues, Brayden Schenn, Brett Hull, Bruins, Game Four, Ryan O'Reilly, Stanley-Cup, Tuukka Rask, Vince Dunn, Vladimir Tarasenko, Zdeno Chara | Leave a comment

HARD HITS: To Trouba or not to

Posted on June 2, 2019 by Derek

Jacob Trouba is an intriguing top pair defenseman on the block who the Rangers should consider acquiring. AP Photo via Getty Images.

As the calendar finally turns to June, there are at most four games left to play in the Stanley Cup. With Game Three in the books and the Bruins delivering a message to the Blues with a 7-2 blowout in St. Louis, the hockey season is coming to a close. Either the physical Blues or counter attacking Bruins will win the Cup. We’ll see how the Blues respond tomorrow.

While fans tune in to find out what will happen, the offseason is upon us. Phil Kessel already vetoed a trade that would’ve sent him to Minnesota with Jason Zucker returning to Pittsburgh. For some inexplicable reason, the Penguins believe they’d be better off without the proven scorer despite winning consecutive Cups with him. Strange until you realize that GM Jim Rutherford wants to find a taker for the foolish contract he gave Jack Johnson.

As for Zucker, how can he return to the Wild if they don’t want him? His production was way down this past season. He followed up a breakout year of 33 goals and 31 assists with 21 goals and 21 assists. As someone who bought into the hype, I made the mistake of taking him too high last year in fantasy hockey. That won’t happen again. Maybe a new team would motivate him. The Wild gave away Nino Niederreiter to the Hurricanes for Victor Rask. Now, he’s reportedly on the block.

It’s a most interesting time of year. Sure. The Stanley Cup will be over sometime this week. Hopefully, one of the remaining games will showcase both teams at their best. That’s yet to happen. It doesn’t help that network partner NBC refuses to air the entire series without shifting two games to NBCSN. Imagine the NBA doing that with the NBA Finals rather than having it exclusively on ABC. Exactly.

As far as the upcoming offseason which is already here for 29 of 31 teams, the rumor mill continues to heat up. Between the anticipation of the NHL Draft featuring Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko with the Hudson rival Devils and Rangers taking center stage in Vancouver, and the open window for general managers to make calls on potential targets via trade or even restricted free agents who can sign offer sheets, there’s a lot to digest.

You’ll also have a good free agent class headlined by A listers Sergei Bobrovsky, Matt Duchene, Erik Karlsson and Artemi Panarin ready for the chaos ahead. For some executives, that could mean dealing for the negotiating rights in late June by sacrificing a mid round pick to see if they can get their primary target signed, sealed and delivered. If as expected Russian tandem Bobrovsky and Panarin are departing Columbus, the Blue Jackets should get what they can in return. GM Jarmo Kekalainen made it clear that he only wants players who want to be Blue Jackets following their second round exit to the Bruins.

For some teams with lots of cap space such as the Rangers, they’ll try to be aggressive. It’s no secret they like Panarin, whose world class skill set would be a significant upgrade in the top six that likely will feature Kakko along with top scorer Mika Zibanejad and definitely Pavel Buchnevich. If new Team President John Davidson and GM Jeff Gorton agree to keep power forward Chris Kreider by extending him this summer, they’ll no doubt want to upgrade to give coach David Quinn a more competitive roster.

If it’s not Panarin, they’re expected to be in on Winnipeg defenseman Jacob Trouba. A Group II free agent, the 25-year old big right D would be a good fit for a unproven blueline that lacks a top pair defenseman who has the skill and physical tools Trouba can bring.

The 6-3, 202 pound defenseman just completed his seventh season with the Jets. Unlike the previous two seasons where he missed a combined 49 games, Trouba played in all 82 games while setting career bests in assists (42), points (50), power play points (3-15-18) and even strength points (4-25-29).

He earned $5.5 million in the final year of his contract. A year away from unrestricted status, Trouba can command a hefty raise over the long-term. He’s still young enough to have peak years ahead. That’s what makes him so attractive to suitors interested in acquiring the American from Rochester, Michigan.

Trouba is a complete player who will pay the price to help his team win. In all seven seasons, he’s blocked at least 100 shots while not being shy about throwing his weight around. That helps explain why he’s missed chunks of time during a few seasons. So, there is a potential risk. Isn’t there always when it comes to a good player that can improve a team? With that risk comes reward.

Let’s say Rangers brass are serious about getting Trouba. Something TSN insider Bob McKenzie seems to believe. It would take a significant package of young, controllable assets and prospects or picks. What would they be willing to offer? Perhaps key RFA Tony DeAngelo would be part of it along with Lias Andersson and say a lottery protected first or second round pick. It would probably take three assets to acquire Trouba.

I’m not crazy about throwing around names like I just did. But you don’t get a proven top pair right defenseman for nothing. Some might argue why make such a deal when you can sign Karlsson. If you watched him closely with the Sharks, then you already know the answer. As talented as the former Norris winner is, he’s way too much of an injury risk. No way I offer him the seven years at around $10.5 million AAV that will take him into his mid 30’s.

The Rangers have done that before. Brad Richards? At least he had success in the Big Apple before he was bought out. Scott Gomez? They paid him top dollar as if he were more than a playmaking pivot who topped out at 70 points. Thankfully, Glen Sather must’ve spiked Bob Gainey’s drink in stealing away Ryan McDonagh. Chris Drury was another one. It was never a question of effort, but of the taxing style he played. It’s ironic that he’s the current Rangers Assistant GM. Even Rick Nash didn’t work out quite the way they envisioned. But the contract was one they inherited from the Blue Jackets.

Not many big names have been successful on Broadway. Marian Gaborik was posting two 40-goal seasons before John Tortorella soured on him, resulting in the interesting trade with Columbus that landed Derick Brassard and John Moore. Derek Dorsett was also in that deal. Without Big Game Brass, the Alain Vigneault Blueshirts don’t reach the Stanley Cup in 2014 and get within a period of consecutive appearances. The end of that run still hurts.

But also, don’t forget that the Great Gabby scored that huge overtime winner against the Caps. He helped the 2012 roster reach the Eastern Conference Final. It’s still bittersweet how Gaborik wound up on the Kings and did in his former teammates two years later. Crazy how things work out.

Whatever they decide, the Rangers know they’re getting a franchise player in less than three weeks. It’s an exciting time for fans of the team. Maybe ’19-20 isn’t the return to the playoffs. It doesn’t have to be. They must remain patient in the construction of the roster by making calculated decisions that bode well over the long haul. That’s why they should steer clear of Karlsson, who will be past his prime in a few years.

On the other hand, Panarin has some good peak years ahead. He only has played four full NHL seasons. He’s also 27. To win the Bread Man sweepstakes, they’ll have to overpay due to the unfair system that allows teams in Florida and Vegas to take advantage of no taxes. That must be changed during the next CBA. It’s not right. Level the playing field.

BODY CHECKS:

I don’t get why the Stanley Cup doesn’t take precedent over shows such as American Ninja Warrior and Dateline. Maybe the executives at NBC can explain it. We know the NHL won’t.

Sergei Fedorov. Pavel Datsyuk. Patrice Bergeron. All tremendous two-way centers who have dominated due to their hockey sense, skating and attention to detail. Those are my favorite three centers.

Did Pierre McGuire really expect to get an honest answer from Bergeron following his question of whether the Boston top center is hurt after a signature performance that included a power play goal and two assists? Come on!

I don’t agree with the one game suspension Oskar Sundqvist served for his two minute boarding minor penalty that injured Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk. Sometimes, that’s hockey. He turned and put himself in a prone position as Sundqvist went to finish the check. Consequently, the Blues missed his tenacity in the lopsided Game Three Boston took 7-2.

When they impose their will due to the heavy forecheck and relentless hitting, the Blues control the play. It’s astonishing that they needed overtime to win Game Two. To think it came from Carl Gunnarson, who felt he needed one more chance after ringing the post late in regulation. He wouldn’t have even been in if not for an injury.

St. Louis misses Vince Dunn in this series. He’s a excellent left skating defenseman who can transition the puck and jump into the rush. It’s asking a lot out of Gunnarson and Robert Bortuzzo to contribute offensively. Bortuzzo played less than 10 minutes in Game Three.

When they first made the trade for Charlie Coyle with the Wild, it didn’t start off well for Boston. While Coyle struggled to fit in, Ryan Donato was scoring for Minnesota. After producing just six points in 21 games, then came the postseason. The 27-year old center has been instrumental during the Bruins run. He again came up big with his eighth goal of the playoffs from deadline pick up Marcus Johansson with 2:20 left in the first period last night. Then came the crushing Sean Kuraly goal at 19:50 which was properly ruled onside due to Joel Edmundson bringing the puck back into the St. Louis zone. Coyle is up to 15 points (8-7-15) this Spring. He’s definitely boosted his value.

I emphasized the importance of Kuraly for Boston. He put away the Maple Leafs in Round One. Now, he’s scored and set up big goals in both of Boston’s wins. Along with Joakim Nordstrom and Noel Acciari, they’re making a difference in a grind it out series with little space.

The Blues style most reminds me of the 2007 Anaheim Ducks. Seek and destroy. They play such a physical brand of hockey that it can wear down opponents. It worked in the first three rounds against Winnipeg, Dallas and San Jose, who were battered. Pat Maroon and Sammy Blais will continue to finish checks and be effective players on the forecheck.

In order for them to have any chance of winning, they must get Game Four in their building. That means better performances from star forwards Vladimir Tarasenko, Jaden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn. The top line was shutdown on Saturday night. It would also help if Ryan O’Reilly could find the back of the net. He hit the crossbar on one point blank opportunity off a Boston turnover.

David Pastrnak finally got into the series with his first goal. A beautiful backhand finish in front on Jordan Binnington from Torey Krug on the power play. He was more assertive throughout as was Bergeron. Brad Marchand picked up a primary assist on Krug’s power play goal that chased Binnington in the second. He probably should’ve been pulled sooner. He gave up five goals on 19 shots with Jake Allen replacing him.

Krug remains very underrated. He is always involved due to his skating and offensive instincts. In Game Three, he was the best Bruin finishing with four points (1-3-4). Don’t forget the huge hit he had in Game One that injured St. Louis rookie forward Robert Thomas. They miss him. For the postseason, Krug has 16 points (2-14-16). That’s a lot for Boston’s only true offensive defenseman, who knows how to play in his end.

Tuukka Rask remains the favorite to win the Conn Smythe. He made three big early saves on good Blues chances to set the tone. He finished with 27 saves in the win. Even though he hasn’t had to be spectacular, he gave his team a chance to steal Game Two despite the Bruins being largely outplayed. It took a perfect Gunnarson one-timer through a great Alex Pietrangelo screen on a delayed penalty to beat Rask.

If Brock Nelson is worth $6 million AAV, what is Kevin Hayes worth? I’m almost afraid to find out. No disrespect to Nelson, who posted a career high 53 points (25-28-53) with a plus-20 rating in a top six role to replace John Tavares. But wow. He never topped 50 points before age 27. By comparison, Hayes hit 50 for the first time in his career with 55 points (19-36-55) between the Rangers and Jets. Hayes is a year younger than Nelson.

How much will Isles GM Lou Lamoriello spend on Anders Lee to keep him? He scored 40 goals in ’17-18. What about Vezina candidate Robin Lehner? Stay tuned.

With the first 40 goal season of his career, Jeff Skinner is expected to re-sign in Buffalo. He was a perfect fit on the number one line with Jack Eichel, going 40-23-63 with seven game-winners in 82 contests. The average cap hit could be between $8.5 to 9.5 million. The Sabres have no choice. Skinner is 27 and has peak years left. They can’t afford to let him walk.

Interesting secondary FA’s:

W Ryan Dzingel

W Marcus Johansson

W Wayne Simmonds

W Gustav Nyquist

W Joonas Donskoi

W Micheal Ferland

W Brett Connolly

W Carl Hagelin

W Richard Panik

W Garnet Hathaway

W Brandon Tanev

W Pat Maroon

W Alex Chiasson

C Markus Kruger

C Valtteri Filppula

C Brian Boyle

C Oscar Lindberg

C Noel Acciari

C Colin Wilson

D Alex Edler

D Anton Stralman

D Dan Girardi

D Ben Chiarot

D Michael Del Zotto

D Patrick Nemeth

D Fredrik Claesson

D Adam McQuaid

Trivia: Name the three players the Blackhawks got back from the Bruins for Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield on May 15, 1967.

Answer to be revealed next week!

Following their impressive Game One victory over the Warriors, the Raptors are three wins away from delivering an NBA Title to the city of Toronto. How will the Maple Leafs feel if it happens?

Drake was just seen talking trash to Marchand. Imagine the possibilities. It couldn’t have hurt Toronto’s chances.

Posted in Hard Hits | Tagged Artemi Panarin, Blues, Boston, Bruins, Column, David Pastrnak, Erik Karlsson, Hard Hits, Jacob Trouba, Jaden Schwartz, Jason Zucker, Jordan Binnington, Matt Grzelcyk, Oskar Sundqvist, Patrice Bergeron, Phil Esposito, Phil Kessel, Rangers, St. Louis, Stanley-Cup, Torey Krug, Tuukka Rask, Vladimir Tarasenko | Leave a comment

Stanley Cup: Depth keys Bruins comeback over Blues in Game One

Posted on May 28, 2019 by Derek

Sean Kuraly got the game-winner in the third period for the Bruins in their 4-2 win over the Blues in Game One. AP Photo via Getty Images.

Last night, the Stanley Cup got underway at TD Garden in Boston. It started out well for the Blues. They capitalized on two Bruins mistakes to take a 2-0 lead early in the second period.

But following Vladimir Tarasenko’s goal off a David Pastrnak turnover a minute into the second, the Bruins responded on the next shift with Connor Clifton able to redirect a Sean Kuraly pass at the goal mouth to cut the deficit to one. The momentum shifting goal changed Game One. It was all Bruins afterwards.

They tilted the ice for over 30 minutes with a wide shot margin. Boston dominated play. They scored the last four goals to post a 4-2 comeback win to take Game One. It was the depth of the Bruins that came through on Memorial Day. Kuraly got the game-winner at 5:21 of the third to finish as the game’s first star with a goal and assist. His fourth line made an immediate impact.

So did Clifton, who had a strong night. In 13:13 of ice-time, the defenseman scored Boston’s first goal and played well overall. His contributions along with Kuraly, Noel Acciari, Joakim Nordstrom, Brandon Carlo and Matt Grzelcyk were instrumental in helping the Bruins take a one game to none lead over the Blues.

On a night the Blues got good production from the top line of Tarasenko, Brayden Schenn and Jaden Schwartz, the Bruins overcame an off game from their top line. The trio of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and Pastrnak were outplayed by the Schenn line at five-on-five.

Rare mistakes from Bergeron, Pastrnak and captain Zdeno Chara allowed St. Louis to take a 2-0 lead. Schenn was given too much time and space on his first of the series. A miscommunication between Pastrnak and Chara resulted in Tarasenko staying hot with his ninth of the postseason from Schenn.

St. Louis took some undisciplined penalties that hurt them. It started in the first when David Perron and Robert Thomas were whistled for minors 3:30 apart. Even though the Bruins didn’t score on the power play, they regained momentum following a flat start due to rust.

As Boston found their skating legs to outshoot the Blues 18-3 in a lopsided second, the Blues continued to take ill advised penalties. Joel Edmundson came up high on David Backes. It was an easy hi-sticking call. This frustrated him. He gave Backes an extra shove because he felt the former St. Louis captain embellished it. He didn’t. It was ridiculous.

An Oskar Sundqvist cross check on Clifton finally cost St. Louis the lead. On a broken play, Charlie McAvoy skated into the Blues zone and surprised rookie Jordan Binnington with a shot that deflected for an unassisted power play goal. That tied the score. Up to that point, the Blues aggressive penalty kill had been getting the job done. They attacked trigger man Marchand. But he was still able to get some dangerous chances with one shot hitting the crossbar while another was a tough save for Binnington.

Of the three Boston top liners, Marchand was the sharpest. He created chances due to his speed and smarts. That included a tricky backhand following a strong move to the net. He would later seal the game with an empty netter with 1:49 left. He leads the Bruins in scoring this postseason with 19 points (8-11-19).

After they were lucky to escape the second still tied, the Blues continued to struggle with the Bruins forecheck. A good shift from the Boston fourth line resulted in Kuraly finishing off a play in front from Acciari and Chara at 5:21 of the third. He isn’t a flashy player. Just an effective one who does the grunt work. Boston might not have advanced over Toronto in the first round without Kuraly. He finished the Leafs off with a highlight reel goal in the third.

You need everyone to win games at this stage. It’s all hands on deck. Boston got that in Game One. St. Louis didn’t. Even though Schenn was dangerous throughout along with Tarasenko, it wasn’t enough to steal the game. Penalty trouble and not enough support cost them.

Ryan O’Reilly was invisible. Other Blues such as Perron were due to physical battles in the trenches. Binnington was involved with Marchand on one play where he impeded the pesky Bruins forward, who didn’t take kindly following a whistle.

.@ToreyKrug: closet linebacker.#NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/AzbOowmCur

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) May 28, 2019

It was that kind of game. There was an edge to it and nastiness which made it entertaining. Torey Krug had the hit of the game when he cleanly knocked down Thomas. That got the crowd going.

The hockey wasn’t great. Not when you had neither team playing their best. Boston early due to a 10 day layoff. St. Louis later due to a malaise.

Hopefully, tomorrow’s game will be better. For the Blues’ sake, they hope so.

Posted in Battle News | Tagged 2019 NHL Playoffs, Blues, Brad Marchand, Brayden Schenn, Bruins, Charlie McAvoy, Connor Clifton, David Pastrnak, David Perron, Game One, Jaden Schwartz, Joel Edmundson, Jordan Binnington, Noel Acciari, Patrice Bergeron, Ryan O'Reilly, Sean Kuraly, Stanley-Cup, Torey Krug, Vladimir Tarasenko | Leave a comment

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Battle Of Hudson

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The best thing about Game Six

HARD HITS: How the Jeff Skinner contract by Sabres sets up the market

Missed call tarnishes Stanley Cup

Flyers deal for Kevin Hayes’ negotiating rights

Brett Hull is the Blues version of Ric Flair

HARD HITS: To Trouba or not to

Stanley Cup: Depth keys Bruins comeback over Blues in Game One

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