NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
2019 STANLEY CUP FINAL – GAME FIVE (BEST-OF-SEVEN)
ST. LOUIS 2, BOSTON 1 (STL LEADS 3-2): Ryan O’Reilly scored early in the second period, and David Perron scored a controversial goal in the third as the St. Louis Blues held on for a 2-1 win over the Boston Bruins in game five of the 2019 National Hockey League Stanley Cup Final Thursday night at TD Garden in Boston.
The Blues took the lead in the best-of-seven series 3-2, and can win the franchise’s first-ever Stanley Cup win a win in game six Sunday night at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. It’s the first time in team history that the Blues have ever led the series in the Final.
Boston defenseman and team captain Zdeno Chara did play and start after suffering a broken jaw when he took a puck in the face from a Brayden Schenn shot in game four Monday night. The Bruins scratched forward David Backes, a former Blues’ captain, and went with seven defensemen in case Chara couldn’t play much.
The move paid off early, as Boston had the better of the play for much of the first period, but rookie Blues’ goalie Jordan Binnington played a magnificent period, stopping 17 Bruins shots. But it was the Blues who scored first, and it happened just 55 seconds into the second period, when Zach Sanford made a nifty between-the-legs pass behind the net to O’Reilly, who deposited the puck in the upper right-hand corner over Tuukka Rask’s should to give the Blues a 1-0 lead.
Binnington and the St. Louis defense made the goal stand up, despite some good chances by the Bruins. In the third period, the Bruins came very close when David Pastrnak though he had pushed the puck over the line and into the net through Binnington’s pads, but after a video review initiated by the NHL’s Situation Room in Toronto, replays were inconclusive and the goal wasn’t given.
The Blues made it 2-0 at 10:36 on a play that started when St. Louis forward Tyler Bozek tripped up Boston forward Noel Acciardi from behind, which stunned the Boston player. No call was made, and Perron picked up a puck and fired a centering pass that deflected off Rask and into the net to double St. Louis’ advantage. Livid Bruins fans littered the ice with rally towels and other debris, but the goal stood.
Boston pulled to within 2-1 with 6:28 left on a goal by Jake DeBrusk, but couldn’t get the equalizer as Binnington stopped the last five shots he faced to give the Blues their win.
Binnington ended up making 38 saves in getting his 15th win of the playoffs, and ninth on the road. Binnigton set a new NHL playoff record for most road wins by a rookie goalie in one playoff year, and tied another for most wins by a rookie goalie. Rask made 19 saves for the Bruins.
The Blues can win close out the series and win the Stanley Cup Sunday night with a win in game six Sunday evening at Enterprise Center. Should Boston win, the seventh and deciding game will be played next Wednesday at Boston. Both games start at 7 p.m., and will be televised nationally on the NBC Television Network and locally on KSDK-TV.
More like this:
