The normally relentless 2019 Blues relented on Monday night, giving up four unanswered goal (one on an empty net) to lose 4-2.
The Blues started in the 2019 road playoff customary format, with a brilliant road 1st period. Their hard work of getting pucks deep, effective and aggressive forechecking and smooth zone exist rewarded them with a 1-0 lead on a goal from Brayden Schenn a little over a third into the period. Schenn shows tremendous patience along the wall with the puck before turning it toward the net for the shot. An aggressive Jay Bouwmeester reads the play and drives the net, getting his stick on the rebound which caroms around to Schenn in the slot. Schenn beats Tuukka Rask to the blocker side.
The Blues would match the Bruins in shots with 8 after one period even though David Perron took a poor, undisciplined penalty in the offensive zone and Robert Thomas was called for perhaps the weakest hooking call I have seen in five years. The Blues escaped their untimely penalties unscathed, killing them both off.
The Blues would then score on the 1st shot of the second period, just one minute in thanks to a poor play by David Pastrnak and Zdeno Chara. Rask doesn’t have a chance in stopping the shot from Tarasenko who beats him blocker side.
Unfortunately for Blues fans, the Blues would only muster two more shots in the period. Their play would be partially hampered by two more undisciplined penalties. Unlike the 1st period, they would not be able to escape unscathed as Charlie McAvoy would score on their 4th power play of the game. Notice in the video how the Blues are actually in great positon to pressure McAvoy but Alex Pietrangelo doesn’t, instead choosing to stick challenge at the last minute, getting McAvoy’s stick on the shot making it almost impossible for Jordan Binnington to get a read on the shot. With Pietrangelo’s poor decision to not close the gap made worse by this stick challenge, the puck goes by Binnington. Anyone who is a goalie will tell you that they would much rather have had Pietrangelo let the shot go clean.
The Blues survive the rest of the period thanks to the strong play of Binnington who had to face 18 shots in the period.
Entering the third period tied, Blues had to be a bit deflated but hopeful given the Blues performance in the third period of close games. A little over five minutes into the 3rd period, Joel Edmundson and Binnington would both make extremely poor plays under easy circumstances which would lead to the Bruins game winning goal. Edmundson starts the gaffes as he controls the puck in his own end with plenty of time and space in front of him. Instead of skating the puck out of his own zone to create time and space to make a play, he decides to stand flat footed and try to fire a 100+ foot pass to the far blue line. As you would expect, the pass is easily picked off.
Binnington then complicates matters gravely when he fails to catch a shot right into his chest. Edmundson follows up his original poor play with poor defense on Sean Kuraly at the side of the net, allowing him the easy goal.
Binnington played such a strong game overall but he has to make this play in a tie game in the 3rd period of the Stanley Cup Final.
The Bruins would add an empty net goal.
Some Blues fans were bemoaning the officiating in Game 1 and while it was poor, the Blues were still in position to win and didn’t get it done. Sure Chara’s slash of Tyler Bozak’s stick should have given the Blues a 5 on 3. Sure Torey Krug’s hit on Robert Thomas was a charge. For the record, you do not have to be moving your feet into the player for a charge. By the textbook rule, it was a charge.
Sure Robert Thomas’ hook wasn’t worthy of a penalty:
The reality is that NHL officiating isn’t consistent except for being consistently inconsistent. It’s poor. You have to win regardless of officiating and the Blues could have done that in Game 1 but they stopped moving their feet and made easy, lazy plays, especially in the 2nd period. You can’t expect to win a Stanley Cup Finals game playing about 26 minutes of good hockey.
Jammer’s keys to the game sure held true. While the Blues scored first and survived the 1st, a goaltending miscue, undisciplined penalties, a power play goal against and losing the third period cost them the game.
It appears that Thomas’ injury has gotten worse and he won’t be in the lineup tonight. Vince Dunn also isn’t quite ready to return. Look for Robby Fabbri or Zach Sanford to jump back into the lineup for Thomas.
It will be interesting to see if Zdeno Chara will be limited tonight in any way as his forearm was cut on a shot block late in Game 1.
It’s a great day for hockey.
NHL Champions for Charity Playoff Edition
In what I hope becomes a Hockeybuzz tradition, Bruins Hockeybuzz writer
Anthony Travalgia and I placed a wager on the series. If the Blues win, Anthony has agreed to make a donation to the
Gateway Area Multiple Sclerosis Society (@mssociety on twitter) whose mission is help each person affected by MS in St. Louis address the challenges of living with MS. They help by raising funds for cutting-edge research, driving change through advocacy, facilitating professional education and providing programs and services that empower people with MS and their families to move their lives forward. I picked this charity to honor Blues anthem singer, Charles Glenn. Read more about Charles’ battle with MS
here. If the Bruins win, I will donate to the
JDRF (@JDRF on twitter) whose mission is improve lives today and tomorrow by accelerating life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications.
Sharks Hockeybuzz writer
Steve Palumbo and I placed a wager on the series. Since the Blues won, Steve should be making a donation to the
Gateway Area Multiple Sclerosis Society (@mssociety on twitter) whose mission is help each person affected by MS in St. Louis address the challenges of living with MS. They help by raising funds for cutting-edge research, driving change through advocacy, facilitating professional education and providing programs and services that empower people with MS and their families to move their lives forward. I selected the MS Society to honor St. Louis Blues Anthem singer Charles Glenn. Read more about Charles
here.
I hope that our wagers will inspire players and fans to pledge donations for each win their team makes in the NHL playoffs.
NHL Champions for Charity Regular Season
Given that the Predators pulled out the division title, all be it not without some controversial officiating in the last couple of games, Best Buddies Tennessee
https://www.bestbuddies.org/tennessee/ is the beneficiary. Best Buddies Tennessee is dedicated to establishing a volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development and inclusive living opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As a side note, I recently got to experience a Best Buddies even in the St. Louis area that was led by the Eureka high school football team. It was a lot of fun and brought a lot of joy to those involved.
It’s a great day for hockey.
St Louis Blues Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»