ST LOUIS – Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final was played Saturday night in St Louis.
Well, a match was scheduled; whether a game took place is open for debate.
The Boston Bruins posted three goals in the final 10 minutes of the first period and never looked back in a 7-2 thrashing of the Blues for a 2-1 series lead.
“We were ready to play,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I felt we would be because of the [veteran] guys who have been here and done it, because we tend to respond well after a loss (3-2 in overtime Wednesday). Did I think we’d score three goals in the first period? No, but I thought we’d be ready to play.”
That is an understatement.
The Blues came out hard and fast in the opening 10 minutes of the game and Tuukka Rask needed to be sharp to hold off the early barrage.
He made 27 saves for the win.
Torey Krug picked up a goal and three assists for the first Bruins player to strike for four points in a Final contest.
“I think it was just a night where everything went our way,” Krug said. “We tried to be more decisive and assertive getting pucks to the net after one or two passes. The fact that we knew that someone was going to shoot the puck off of one or two passes allowed our guys to just get to the net in front of the goaltender’s eyes and then recover the puck if there’s a rebound to be had.”
Patrice Bergeron kicked in a three points on a goal and two helpers.
Boston’s power play unit is a well-oiled machine at this point as they put up four goals with the extra man on just four shots.
David Pastrnak (power play), Charlie Coyle and Sean Kuraly scored for Boston in the rout.
“That’s the first thing we tell each other [on the power play]: Try to make them pay,” Pastrnak said. “Special teams are so, so important, especially this late in the season. It’s good for us that the PP went well and PK did a great job (4-for-5), but we can’t get comfortable.”
Noel Acciari had an empty-net goal late and Marcus Johansson added the fourth power play goal for the Bruins in the third period.
Ivan Barbashev and Colton Parayko scored almost ‘so what’ goals for the Blues.
[WATCH: Bruins vs. Blues Game 3 highlights | Complete series coverage]
Jordan Binnington got the start but was given the hook in the second period after yielding five goals; it was his first early exit from a game this season (over 52 games). He made just 14 saves.
“Five goals he allowed, so he had seen enough,” Blues coach Craig Berube said. “We just wanted to pull him and get him ready for the next game.”
Jake Allen surrendered one goal on four shots.
“It’s the Stanley Cup Final, lots to play for,” Binnington said. “You prepare the same way. Believe in your teammates and believe in yourself. Got to do your job. You just have to handle adversity. It’s not going to be perfect. These things will happen. You regroup and move on.”
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