BOSTON – If you are going to steal a road game, make it the one that sends you home on a high note.
The St Louis Blues did just that We3dnesday night with a dramatic overtime 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins.
The Blues head home on the high note with the series tied 1-1.
On a night of firsts, Carl Gunnarsson s cored the game-winner 3:51 into the extra session on a delayed penalty against the Bruins.
“Berube came in and said that he used the [bathroom] after the third period, and Gunnarsson came and stood next to him. And all Gunnarsson said to him was, ‘I just need one more chance.’ It’s true, apparently. It worked out,” Oskar Sundqvist said after the game.
Gunnarsson had not scored in his previous 56 Stanley Cup playoff games.
“I don’t score too many, but nothing comes even close,” said Gunnarsson, whose goal was his first in 57 Stanley Cup Playoff games. “It’s a pretty good feeling right now.”
Gunnarsson shot from the right point as the puck flew through traffic and screens with the Blues having a sixth attacker on the ice with delayed call.
“First game, we weren’t happy; today we came out flying and I think we played a great game for 60-plus minutes,” Gunnarsson said. “That’s just the team we are. We come back like that. We never give up. For me to put it in there and get the winner, it’s a great feeling.”
The rest of the scoring was all done in the first period with neither goalie looking particularly sharp.
Jordan Binnington got the win on 21 saves but both goals in the first period he was soft with open five holes.
“The boys played a great game, a disciplined game and played as a team for 60 minutes, or more than 60 minutes, I guess,” Binnington said. “I think we deserved that one.”
Charlie Coyle opened the scoring with his seventh of the post season on a power play blast from the low slot that beat Binnington five hole.
Robert Bortuzzo tied it at 1-1 before the Bruins regained the lead on a goal from Joakim Nordstrom.
“We need to be better. Personally, I wasn’t good the last two games, so we can’t be playing like that,” Brad Marchand said.
Vladimir Tarasenko extra effort on a second rebound netted a goal for a 2-2 tie ending the opening frame.
“We kind of worked them, kind of broke them down,” Blues center Ryan O’Reilly said. “I thought it gave us an advantage and we came out and had a bit more gas. As you see, I thought we outplayed them in that overtime and got the big goal.”
Despite their success on the power play this post season, the Bruins came a little short with one goal in five chances.
“It’s on us to execute better at the end of the day and move a little bit more,” Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I thought our whole game was like that. We didn’t have as much energy it seemed with the puck to create offense 5-on-5 and on the power play.”
[WATCH: Blues vs. Bruins Game 2 highlights | Complete series coverage]
Tuukka Rask made 34 saves in the loss.
“Probably wasn’t our best game today,” Rask said. “I think, especially in the playoffs, the better team always wins. They were definitely the better team.”
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