ST LOUIS – Just when you thought you might count the St Louis Blues out on a 10-count after their Game 3 disaster, they turn it around and hand the Boston Bruins a 4-2 loss and even the series at 2-2 heading back to Boston.
“It was huge,” St. Louis forward Jaden Schwartz said. “We didn’t want to give them a chance to close it out at home. Seems like Game 4 is always pivotal in any series, and we were anxious to get this one going, and we played a good team game, we played hard. We were relentless. We were desperate, and it showed in our game.”
Ryan O’Reilly struck twice, including the game-winner midway through the third period to lead the Blues.
O’Reilly opened the scoring in the first period where the Blues took a 2-1 lead into the locker room.
Vladimir Tarasenko also scored in the opening frame.
Jordan Binnington made 21 saves to rebound from the dreadful effort in Game 3.
“Things don’t really seem to faze us,” Alex Pietrangelo said. “Obviously, last game got out of hand and we weren’t too proud of that, but we felt like last game we did actually start pretty well the first 5-10 minutes, so we just used the same thing. We used everybody.”
Charlie Coyle scored in the first period to keep the Bruins close.
“They came out hard. We expected that,” Coyle said. “I think their sense of urgency was there more than ours, and they won battles form the get-go. We had our push in the second, but we need to come out with a better start. That’s when we give ourselves our best shot.”
Brandon Carlo, with his first of the post season, rallied Boston back for a 2-2 tie in the middle frame.
“From the get-go they were winning loose pucks, winning their battles,” Coyle said. “They came hungry, and we need to do a better job. … We didn’t have it as much as they did tonight.”
Zdeno Chara was injured in the middle frame on a shot from the Blues; he returned to the bench for the third period with a full cage on his helmet but did not play.
“Was very uncomfortable and was advised not to return … wanted to be on bench for his teammates,” Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Don’t know his status for Game 5.”
Brayden Schenn added an empty-net goal to relieve the tension in the building.
“The city has been waiting a long time for this. … It’s a great sports city, an underrated sports city, in my opinion,” Pietrangelo said. “The fans are great. They never gave up on us all season. They didn’t give up on us here in the playoffs. We’ve been down, and they just keep on cheering, keep on supporting us. We’re putting on the best effort we can for them.”
Game 5 is in Boston Thursday night.
“With [Chara] out, the onus comes on us as a staff,” Cassidy said. “You have [Connor] Clifton, McAvoy, [Brandon] Carlo, these kids are young. Torey’s [Krug] been around, [John] Moore, but they’re not old, grizzled veterans. So we have to coach them up. That’s our challenge going into Game 5. We have to do a better job as a staff.”
[WATCH: Bruins vs. Blues Game 4 coverage | Complete Stanley Cup Final coverage]
Tuukka Rask made 34 saves in the loss.
“Everyone in our lineup is confident, from the goalie up. Tuukka [Rask] has been great for us. He’s been unbelievable for us. We’ve all got a little more in us, and we’re going to need a little more,” Coyle said.
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