Many wondered whether the Blues could manage to bounce back from a 7-2 defeat in Game 3 against the Bruins, but in the end, the home team recorded an important win, tying the score at 2-2 before they head to Boston.
It was an exciting game at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, with the opening goal scored only 43 seconds into the game, and after plenty of excitement, the Blues beat the Bruins 4-2.
Game 5 will take place at TD Garden on Thursday night.
Vladimir Tarasenko scored his 11th goal of the post-season, while Jordan Binnington made 21 saves. Tuukka Rask had 34 stops, but couldn’t prevent his team from losing.
Boston’s Charlie Coyle scored for the third game in a row, but the team’s stars were once again silenced. The Bruins’ captain, Zdeno Chara got a puck to his mouth, and it’s still uncertain if he’ll be able to help his teammates in Game 5.
St. Louis Blues center Paul Stastny (26) during the NHL game between the St Louis Blues and the Carolina Hurricanes at the PNC Arena. – Kyle Besler / Shutterstock.com
Another Early Goal for the Blues
Ryan O’Reilly gave the Blues an early lead, finally ending an eight-game goal drought. He scored his second of the game in the third, which is the first time since November last year he hit the net more than once during a match.
The Blues not only managed to bounce back from the defeat in Game 3, but they also succeeded in completely killing off Boston’s power play. The played an excellent offensive game all night, while the Bruins’ defenders looked confused at certain moments.
But the Bruins had their moment when Brandon Carlo took advantage of an extra man to even the score at 2-2. It was the fourth shorthanded goal that the Blues have allowed in the post-season, but they didn’t give up.
The result remained unchanged until 10:38 into the third, when O’Reilly scored another goal, after another rebound off Rask. The finals result was set by Brayden Schenn, who scored his fourth playoff goal into an empty-net with 1:29 left on the clock.
After the final horn signalled the end of the match, home fans celebrated their team’s first-ever victory in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Sundqvist was back on the team, after a one-game suspension, while Dunn replaced Bortuzzo in the Blues’ lineup. Matt Grzelcyk missed his second consecutive match of the Bruins.
Following the next game, which will be played in Boston on Thursday, the two teams will return to Missouri on Sunday for Game 6. If necessary, the final game of the series will be played next Wednesday in TD Garden in Boston.
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