Boston got the jump with a 4-2 win in the opener. The way Boston controlled play in that contest, it made you feel like it could be a quick series in the Bruins favor. Hell, the Blues have never won a game in finals history. Game two changed the tide a little, thanks to Carl Gunnarsson's overtime heroics. It looked like it had started to turn for the Blues, but Boston hung a touchdown on the Blues in game three in St Louis. It was good enough to chase Jordan Binnington. To this point. he'd never been pulled in a game in the playoffs. Game three was a statement from the Bruins that they were going to be a very tough team to beat.
Many were wondering how the Blues would react to the beating they took in game three. They responded in a big way, thanks to a solid performance in net from Binnington and a pair of goals from Ryan O'Reilly to come away with a 4-2 win to even the series. St Louis followed that up with a big win in game five, although it came of the controversial nature. In the third period, said controversy occurred when Blues forward Tyler Bozak tripped Noel Acciari, and no penalty was called on the play. With play continuing, David Perron scored with the puck deflecting off Rask into the net, to give the Blues a 2-0 lead. Boston would eventually get one back, but it was too late by that point.
The same feeling that hit the Blues after giving up the seven goals was now on the Bruins. Some wondered how the Bruins would react in St Louis during game six, if they could even bounce back from the way game five went down. But the Bruins wouldn't go quietly, scoring five times and forcing the seventh game back in Boston.
Jordan Binnington stood on his head early in game seven. He played like a man possessed in this final contest. Don't believe me? Here, look for yourself:
Some of the saves that this kid had to make in game seven were the stuff of legend. He made saves that would hurt your average man. But this time of the year isn't for the average man. Average men go nowhere in the playoffs. Binnington was more than average. He was a close second in my mind to the guy who won the MVP of the playoffs, Ryan O'Reilly.
O'Reilly finished tied with Brad Marchand for the playoff lead in scoring, but he had a much more well rounded game than anybody in the playoffs. With his Conn Smyth win, O'Reilly became the 3rd center in the last four years to walk away with the Trophy. In fact, O'Reilly wasn't the first Blues player to win MVP of the p[layoffs, he was actually the 2nd. The first Blue to win the award was Glenn Hall, who was between the Blues pipes in 1968 and carried them all the way to the Finals before getting swept by the Canadiens that year.
This year was a magical one for St Louis, who looked dead in the water at one point. They had 15 wins total by January 2nd, and were in dead last in the Western Conference. But thanks to the steady hand of Craig Berube, the Blues finished atop the hockey mountain. St Louis managed to win 38 games under Berube, 30 of which came after January 2nd. There was nobody hotter in the hockey world than the Blues going down the stretch. Sure they hit a few bumps in the road during the playoffs, but they are the one left standing with the greatest trophy in all of sports raised over their heads.
So congratulations to the St Louis Blues, the 2018-19 Stanley Cup Champions!
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