NEW YORK, NY – The St. Louis Blues finally hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup. They did so with a convincing Game 7 win over the Boston Bruins. With two goals in the first period, the Blues were well on their way. St. Loo added two more in the third before the Bruins pulled one back. By then it was too late for the B’s. The Blues had taken Game 7 and won their first Stanley Cup in their 52 year history.
It was a far cry from the 1970 Stanley Cup Final. Forty nine years ago, the Bruins swept the Blues in the Final. The nail in the coffin was Bobby Orr’s overtime winner in Game 4 to complete the sweep. There would be no repeat of that feat in Boston. The Bruins led the game in shots and bossed the game for long stretches, but they couldn’t find the goal. The Blues took their chances and won convincingly in a quiet TD Garden.
Ryan O’Reilly scored the Blues’ first goal of the game with three minutes left in the first period. The goal was his eighth of the postseason. O’Reilly went on to win the Conn Smythe Trophy for his contributions to the Blues’ success. Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo scored the team’s second goal after Brad Marchand tried to cover defensive duties and olé’d on a check to let the Blues in on goal. It was a back-breaking goal that came with eight seconds left in the first period. The Bruins, and Cheesy Bruin, never recovered.
The second period saw a lot of action but no goals. Boston had a lot of chances but it was the Blues that came closest to scoring when a shot bounced off of the crossbar and then off Bruins net-minder Tuukka Rask. The puck was only kept out by the stick of Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara. It kept the B’s somewhat in the game but they never found the goal that would have made it a true contest.
Brayden Schenn scored St. Louis’ third goal midway through the third period and that put the game out of reach. The TD Garden went silent as the Boston faithful knew things were over. Zach Sanford added a fourth goal for the Blues with five minutes left and by then it was party time for the Blues. Matt Grzelcyk scored a late consolation goal for the Bruins but it was all about the Blues.
St. Louis had the fewest points in the NHL in early January. They stormed back in the second half of the season to take third place in the Central Division. They won three tough series beating the Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars, and San Jose Sharks to reach the Final. They took the series against the Bruins to seven games and won the clincher on the road to hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time in their 52-year history.
It was a tough road and a much deserved victory for the Blues. They will savor this victory in the midwest for a long time. Let the party begin in St. Louis.
Speaking of parties, come back tomorrow for a man that is tearing up the clubs in Niagara Falls, Junoir Blaber.
