6.2.19 SB_S by stltoday.com

STA N LEY CU P FI NA L EDIT ION

SUNDAY • 06.02.2019 • $4.00 • EARLY EDITION

GAME 3: 7 P.M. SATURDAY

BACK HOME SERIES TIED 1-1

Blues return to St. Louis for Game 3 Saturday

CHRISTIAN GOODEN • cgooden@post-dispatch.com

A giant banner of the Stanley Cup appears on the south-facing facade of Enterprise Center on Thursday above the statue of Blues great Bernie Federko.

GAME 1

Mon. at Boston Bos 0 2 2 — 4 Stl 1 10 — 2 GWG: Kuraly

GAME 2

Wed. at Boston Stl 2 0 0 1 — 3 Bos 2 0 0 0 — 2 GWG: Gunnarsson

GAME 3 7 p.m. Saturday at Blues NBCSN

GAME 4 7 p.m. Monday at Blues KSDK (Ch.5)

GAME 5

7 p.m. Thursday at Boston KSDK (Ch.5)

GAME 6* 7 p.m. Sunday 6/9 at Blues KSDK (Ch.5)

GAME 7*

7 p.m. Wednesday 6/12 at Boston KSDK (Ch.5)

* IF NECESSARY

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STA N LEY CU P FI NA L EDIT ION

SUNDAY • 06.02.2019 • $4.00 • FINAL EDITION

GAME 3

BOSTON LEADS SERIES 2-1

UPENDED

Dominant Bruins score 4 power-play goals

J.B. FORBES • jforbes@post-dispatch.com

Blues forward Brayden Schenn flips through the air next to Boston’s David Pastrnak early in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday at Enterprise Center.

GAME 1

Mon. at Boston Bos 0 2 2 — 4 Stl 1 10 — 2 GWG: Kuraly

GAME 2

Wed. at Boston Stl 2 0 0 1 — 3 Bos 2 0 0 0 — 2 GWG: Gunnarsson

GAME 3

Sat. at Blues Bos 3 2 2 — 7 Stl 0 1 1 — 2 GWG: Kuraly

GAME 4 7 p.m. Monday at Blues KSDK (Ch.5)

GAME 5

7 p.m. Thursday at Boston KSDK (Ch.5)

GAME 6* 7 p.m. Sunday 6/9 at Blues KSDK (Ch.5)

GAME 7*

7 p.m. Wednesday 6/12 at Boston KSDK (Ch.5)

* IF NECESSARY

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S2 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

STANLEY CUP FINAL

M 1 • SUnDAy • 06.02.2019

SCENES FROM GAME 1 Bruins 4, Blues 2

Boston’s Matt Grzelcyk and Ivan Barbashev collide while going for the puck Monday at TD Garden in Boston.

J.B. FORBES • jforbes@post-dispatch.com

Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo gets an explanation after Joel Edmundson is called for a penalty during the second period.

J.B. FORBES • jforbes@post-dispatch.com

Blues forward David Perron pulls the helmet off the Bruins’ Torey Krug during the third period.

Players converge around Blues goalie Jordan Binnington after he lost sight of the puck in the first period.

J.B. FORBES • jforbes@post-dispatch.com

STANLEY CUP FINAL

S2 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

GAME 3

BOSTON LEADS SERIES 2-1

M 2 • SUnDAy • 06.02.2019

LAURIE SKRIVAN • lskrivan@post-dispatch.com

Bruins center Charlie Coyle (bottom) fights for the puck with pressure from Blues left wing Zach Sanford in a scrum during the second period in Game 3 on Saturday night at Enterprise Center.

FROM FRENZY TO FRUSTRATED Blues fall flat in first Final game here since 1970

BRUINS 7, BLUES 2

BY JIM THOMAS St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Boston St. Louis

ome 17,924 days ago, the Blues last played host to a Stanley Cup Final game. On May 5, 1970 to be exact, the Blues lost to these same Boston Bruins 6-2 at The

Arena. “I thought this was going to be a lot tougher,” Bruins forward Derek Sanderson said at the time. “They never threw a check all night.” Well, 49 years later, the Blues were Cup Final hosts once more. It wasn’t worth the wait. Three days after recording their firstever Stanley Cup Final victory with a 3-2 overtime win Wednesday in Boston, the Blues fell w-e-l-l short of their first-ever home Cup Final win - losing 7-2 to the Bruins before 18, 789 at Enterprise Center. It was the most goals allowed by the Blues in these playoffs, exceeding a 6-3 loss to Winnipeg in Game 3 of Round 1 and a 6-3 loss to San Jose in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. Yes, the Bruins sure know how to spoil a party. On this night at least, the moment seemed a little big for the Blues. The Blues threw some checks Saturday. But this one, at least in terms of the score, looked a lot like the 1970 version. And no amount of celebrities or star athletes could change the momentum Saturday. St. Louis actors Jon Hamm and Jenna Fischer were in the house. So was Olympic star Jackie Joyner-Kersee and former St. Louis Rams Isaac Bruce and Chris Long. Even Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was in the stands, shown on the video board wearing a Blues jersey and chugging ... something. Boston went 3-for-3 on the power play in piling up a 5-1 lead after two periods and chasing goalie Jordan Binnington for the first time in his NHL career. Jake Allen took over with 7 minutes 48 seconds to play in the second period after Torey Krug’s shot deflected off the skate of Jay Bouwmeester and past Binnington to make it a 5-1 game. Allen had not played at home since a Jan. 8 start against the Dallas Stars. And he hadn’t played at all in nearly two months, since a 3-2 shootout loss at Chicago on April 3. So Boston is up 2-1 in the best-ofseven series, halfway home to its seventh NHL championship. Meanwhile, the Blues must win three of the final four as Game 4 is Monday at Enterprise. St. Louis trailed San Jose two games

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First Period Bos: Bergeron 9 (DeBrusk, Krug), 10:47 (pp). Bos: Coyle 8 (Heinen, Johansson), 17:40. Bos: Kuraly 4 (Nordstrom), 19:50. Penalties: DeBrusk, BOS, (kneeing), 1:02; Perron, STL, (interference), 10:26; Clifton, BOS, (roughing), 14:22; Barbashev, STL, (unsportsmanlike conduct), 14:22; St. Louis bench, served by Perron (delay of game), 19:50.

J.B. FORBES • jforbes@post-dispatch.com

The Bruins’ Charlie Coyle shoots the puck past Blues goalie Jordan Binnington for Boston’s second goal during the first period Saturday night.

to one in the West final and Dallas three games to two in the second round and went on to win those series. The Blues will need another series comeback to take the Cup. While Binnington struggled, Tuukka Rask was very good Saturday. Former Blues captain David Backes was a constant agitator in a game that featured all kinds of scrums and skirmishes. The Blues were minus three regulars: Oskar Sundqvist (suspension), Robert Thomas (wrist) and Vince Dunn (mouth, head). There was tremendous energy in the building at the start of the game, and the Blues rode that wave for a while, outshooting the Bruins 5-0 over the first six minutes of play. Included was an early power play when Boston’s Jake DeBrusk was whistled for kneeing Alex Pietrangelo. But the Bruins gradually took control of the first period - and the game - after that, outshooting the Blues 12-3 over the remainder of the first and outscoring them 3-0. Only 21 seconds after David Perron was sent off for interference against Brandon Carlo, Patrice Bergeron deflected in a Krug shot from the point for the game’s first goal midway through the first period. So it was 1-0 Boston. No big deal since the team that scored first had lost the first two games of this series. It became a big deal, however, when the Bruins scored a pair of late goals in the period to stretch that 1-0 lead to 3-0. Charlie Coyle eluded an attempted

hit by Sammy Blais near the Boston blueline. That gave the Bruins an instant 3-on-2 rush, which they patiently executed with Coyle beating Binnington glove side, backdoor, for a 2-0 lead with 2:20 left in the period. But that wasn’t the worst of it. With just 10 seconds left Sean Kuraly beat Binnington − 5-hole, again − with a shot that also went through the legs of Pietrangelo. The Blues challenged for offside on the play, but the goal stood. Unsuccessful offside challenges result in a penalty, so the Blues started the second period with 1:50 left on the penalty kill. The Bruins only needed 41 seconds of that for David Pastrnak to beat Binnington with a backhand for a 4-0 Boston lead. The Blues finally got on the board when Ivan Barbashev’s shot from in close appeared to deﬂect in off the skate of Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy. Barbashev does well when his parents and brother are in town from Russia, and yes, they are in town. His third playoff goal came on a behind-the-net backhand pass from Zach Sanford, who was replacing Sundqvist. The Blues added a power-play goal at 5:24 of the third period when Colton Parayko’s blast from near the blueline deflected off Boston defenseman Brando Carlo and past Rask. But that still left the Blues three goals down at 5-2. The Blues had a chance to at least make it interesting when Boston received a delay-of-game penalty for shooting the puck over the glass. But

Second Period Bos: Pastrnak 8 (Krug, Bergeron), 0:41 (pp). Blues: Barbashev 3 (Sanford, Steen), 11:05. Bos: Krug 2 (Marchand, Bergeron), 12:12 (pp). Penalties: McAvoy, BOS, (slashing), 7:37; Maroon, STL, (unsportsmanlike conduct), 7:37; Chara, BOS, (unsportsmanlike conduct), 7:37; Parayko, STL, (high sticking), 11:41. Third Period Blues: Parayko 2 (Bozak, O’Reilly), 5:24 (pp). Bos: Acciari 2 (Nordstrom), 18:12. Bos: Johansson 4 (Clifton, Krug), 18:35 (pp). Penalties: Perron, STL, (roughing), 0:54; Clifton, BOS, (cross checking), 0:54; Carlo, BOS, (interference), 1:31; Chara, BOS, (roughing), 5:18; DeBrusk, BOS, (delay of game), 6:04; Pietrangelo, STL, (slashing), 18:12. Shots on Goal 12 Boston Blues 8

8 10

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Power play Boston 4 of 4; Blues 1 of 5. Goaltenders Boston, Rask 14-6 (29 shots-27 saves). Blues, Allen 0-0 (4-3), Binnington 13-9 (19-14). A: 18,789 (19,150). T: 2:34. Referees: Steve Kozari, Kelly Sutherland. Linesmen: Greg Devorski, Pierre Racicot.

the Blues got only one shot on goal on this power play as Boston won its ﬁfth in a row on the road and improved to 7-2 overall this postseason away from TD Garden. Jim Thomas @jthom1 on Twitter jthomas@post-dispatch.com

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STANLEY CUP FINAL

S2 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

GAME 3

BOSTON LEADS SERIES 2-1

M 3 • SUnDAy • 06.02.2019

LAURIE SKRIVAN • lskrivan@post-dispatch.com

Bruins center Charlie Coyle (bottom) fights for the puck with pressure from Blues left wing Zach Sanford (12) in a scrum of players during the second period Saturday night at Enterprise Center.

FROM FRENZY TO FRUSTRATED Blues fall flat in first Final game here since 1970

BRUINS 7, BLUES 2

BY JIM THOMAS St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Boston Blues

ome 17,924 days ago, the Blues last played host to a Stanley Cup Final game. On May 5, 1970 to be exact, the Blues lost to these same Boston Bruins 6-2 at The

Arena. Well, 49 years later, the Blues were Cup Final hosts once more. It wasn’t worth the wait. Three days after recording their firstever Stanley Cup Final victory, the Blues fell w-e-l-l short of their firstever home Cup Final win - losing 7-2 to the Bruins before 18,789 at Enterprise Center. The Bruins sure know how to spoil a party. With the city abuzz with Cup fever, and the crowd as jacked up as it’s been all season or maybe in years the eagerly-anticipated contest turned into a huge letdown. No amount of celebrities or star athletes in attendance could change the momentum Saturday. St. Louis actors Jon Hamm and Jenna Fischer were in the house. So was Olympic star Jackie Joyner-Kersee and former St. Louis Rams Isaac Bruce and Chris Long. Even Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was in the stands, shown on the video board wearing a Blues jersey and chugging a beer. But Boston had almost as many power-play goals as the Blues had celebrity sightings. The Bruins scored four times with the man advantage on just four shots - and finished with seven Bruins scoring a goal apiece. The Blues were missing one of their top penalty-kill players in the suspended Oskar Sundqvist. But 4-for-4? “There were some deflections,” coach Craig Berube said. “Two of them. One went off of (Patrice) Bergeron with a deflection - we didn’t get his stick. One went off (Jay) Bouwmeester’s stick and in. We’ve got to be better. Penalty kill’s got to be better.” The Blues had been the least-penalized team in the playoffs entering the Cup Final, but you wouldn’t know it by what’s transpired three games into this series. The Blues have been whistled for 17 penalties in three games, and spent 14 minutes in the box on seven infractions Saturday. “Well, we do have to limit the penalties for sure,” captain Alex Pietrangelo said. “We know they have a dangerous power play and we’ve been flirting with danger here the whole series, and it burnt us tonight. But in saying that, we’ve got to do a better job of killing them tonight and we didn’t. “That’s why they won the hockey game.” Penalties or not, it wasn’t the best

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COLTER PETERSON • cpeterson@post-dispatch.com

Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (left) is checked into the glass by Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo during the third period of Game 3.

night for rookie goaltender sensation Jordan Binnington. He was pulled for the first time in his NHL career after allowing the first five goals. “I’ve gotta do a better job of giving us a chance to win,” Binnington said. “Three goals in the first, that’s never good.” After a quick start for the Blues Boston didn’t even have a shot on goal for the first six minutes - the Bruins scored three times in the first period, including twice in the final 2 minutes 20 seconds. After Torey Krug made it a 5-1 Boston lead with 7:48 left in the second, Binnington was replaced by Jake Allen. Krug’s goal came on the shot that deflected off Bouwmeester’s stick. “My confidence level’s really high (in Binnington),” Berube said afterwards. “Five goals he allowed, so he had seen enough. We just wanted to pull him and get him ready for the next game.” Allen had not played at home since a Jan. 8 start against the Dallas Stars. And he hadn’t played at all in nearly two months, since a 3-2 shootout loss at Chicago on April 3. Like the Blues as a whole, Binnington has shown a knack for bouncing back strong after defeats. He’ll be put to the test on that front when Game 4 rolls around on Monday. “It’s a loss,” Binnington said. “I’m not happy with that. We’re going to regroup and prepare for the next game.” “It’s not his fault at all,” David Perron said. “I’m sure he’s disappointed but it has nothing to do (with him). If there’s one reason we’re here, it’s because of him. “Games like that, we don’t want them to happen but it did tonight.

Much like the hand pass against San Jose - even though it’s a different situation - but we have to find a way to turn the page and come back way better.” So Boston is up 2-1 in the best-ofseven series, halfway home to its seventh NHL championship. Meanwhile, the Blues must win three of the final four to win their first Cup. St. Louis trailed San Jose two games to one in the Western Conference Final, and trailed Dallas three games to two in the second round, yet went on to win those series. They’ll need another series comeback to take the Cup. While Binnington struggled, Tuukka Rask was very good in goal Saturday for Boston. Former Blues captain David Backes was a constant agitator in a game that featured all kinds of scrums and skirmishes. Besides Sundqvist, who’ll return for Game 4, the Blues were also missing Robert Thomas (wrist) and Vince Dunn (mouth, head). There was tremendous energy in the building at the start of the game, and the Blues rode that wave for a while, outshooting the Bruins 5-0 over the first six minutes of play. But the Bruins gradually took control of the first period - and the game draining the life out of the building and a fan base that came ready to see history. What they saw instead was one of the Blues’ worst postseason losses ever. The seven Boston goals were the most allowed by the Blues since an 8-3 loss to Detroit in the conference semifinals in 1996. The franchise record for most goals allowed the postseason is 10 against these same Bruins in 1972. Perron bristled when asked if the buildup to this game perhaps resulted in

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too much nervous energy for the Blues. “I don’t know,” he replied. “I don’t know. I wasn’t nervous.” But could the Blues have been too pumped up for one of the bigger nights in St. Louis sports history? “You can say a lot of things,” he said. “We’ll look at some video tomorrow and try to ﬁnd that out.” Jim Thomas @jthom1 on Twitter jthomas@post-dispatch.com

06.02.2019 • Sunday • M 1

STANLEY CUP FINAL

ST. LOuIS POST-dISPaTCH • S3

STANLEY CUP FINAL

S4 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

M 1 • SUnDAy • 06.02.2019

J.B. FORBES • jforbes@post-dispatch.com

Oskar Sundqvist complains to the linesman Pierre Racicot after he is assessed a penalty for ramming Boston’s Connor Clifton into the boards in Game 1 on Monday.

BLUES REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE Date 10/4/2018 10/6/2018 10/11/2018 10/13/2018 10/14/2018 10/17/2018 10/20/2018 10/22/2018 10/25/2018 10/27/2018 11/1/2018 11/3/2018 11/6/2018 11/9/2018 11/11/2018 11/14/2018 11/16/2018 11/17/2018 11/19/2018 11/21/2018 11/23/2018 11/24/2018 11/28/2018 11/30/2018 12/1/2018 12/5/2018 12/7/2018 12/9/2018 12/11/2018 12/14/2018 12/16/2018 12/18/2018 12/20/2018 12/22/2018 12/27/2018 12/29/2018 12/31/2018 1/3/2019 1/5/2019 1/7/2019 1/8/2019 1/10/2019 1/12/2019 1/14/2019 1/15/2019 1/17/2019 1/19/2019 1/21/2019 1/23/2019 2/2/2019 2/5/2019 2/7/2019 2/9/2019 2/10/2019 2/12/2019 2/14/2019 2/16/2019 2/17/2019 2/19/2019 2/21/2019 2/23/2019 2/24/2019 2/26/2019 3/1/2019 3/2/2019 3/6/2019 3/7/2019 3/9/2019 3/12/2019 3/14/2019 3/16/2019 3/17/2019 3/19/2019 3/21/2019 3/23/2019 3/25/2019 3/29/2019 3/30/2019 4/1/2019 4/3/2019 4/4/2019 4/6/2019

Opponent Winnipeg Jets Chicago Blackhawks Calgary Flames at Chicago Blackhawks Anaheim Ducks at Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs at Winnipeg Jets Columbus Blue Jackets Chicago Blackhawks Vegas Golden Knights Minnesota Wild Carolina Hurricanes San Jose Sharks Minnesota Wild at Chicago Blackhawks at Vegas Golden Knights at San Jose Sharks Los Angeles Kings at Nashville Predators Nashville Predators Winnipeg Jets at Detroit Red Wings at Colorado Avalanche at Arizona Coyotes Edmonton Oilers at Winnipeg Jets Vancouver Canucks Florida Panthers Colorado Avalanche Calgary Flames at Edmonton Oilers at Vancouver Canucks at Calgary Flames Buffalo Sabres Pittsburgh Penguins New York Rangers Washington Capitals New York Islanders at Philadelphia Flyers Dallas Stars Montreal Canadiens at Dallas Stars at Washington Capitals at New York Islanders at Boston Bruins Ottawa Senators at Los Angeles Kings at Anaheim Ducks at Columbus Blue Jackets at Florida Panthers at Tampa Bay Lightning Nashville Predators at Nashville Predators New Jersey Devils at Arizona Coyotes at Colorado Avalanche at Minnesota Wild Toronto Maple Leafs at Dallas Stars Boston Bruins at Minnesota Wild Nashville Predators at Carolina Hurricanes Dallas Stars at Anaheim Ducks at Los Angeles Kings at San Jose Sharks Arizona Coyotes at Ottawa Senators at Pittsburgh Penguins at Buffalo Sabres Edmonton Oilers Detroit Red Wings Tampa Bay Lightning Vegas Golden Knights at New York Rangers at New Jersey Devils Colorado Avalanche at Chicago Blackhawks Philadelphia Flyers Vancouver Canucks

Score L 1-5 L 4-5 (OT) W 5-3 L 3-4 (OT) L 2-3 L 2-3 W 4-1 L 4-5 (OT) L 4-7 W 7-3 W 5-3 L 1-5 W 4-1 W 4-0 L 2-3 L 0-1 W 4-1 L 0-4 L 0-2 L 1-4 W 6-2 L 4-8 L 3-4 W 3-2 (OT) L 1-6 L 2-3 (SO) W 1-0 L 1-6 W 4-3 W 4-3 (OT) L 2-7 W 4-1 L 1-5 W 3-1 W 4-1 L 1-6 L 1-2 W 5-2 L 3-4 W 3-0 L 1-3 W 4-1 W 3-1 W 4-1 L 1-2 (OT) L 2-5 W 3-2 L 3-4 W 5-1 W 4-2 W 3-2 W 1-0 (OT) W 3-2 W 5-4 (OT) W 8-3 W 4-0 W 3-0 W 4-0 W 3-2 (OT) L 2-5 W 2-1 (SO) L 1-2 (SO) W 2-0 L 2-5 L 1-4 W 5-4 W 4-0 L 2-3 (OT) L 1-3 L 0-2 W 5-1 L 3-4 (SO) W 7-2 W 5-2 W 4-3 W 3-1 L 2-4 W 3-2 (OT) W 3-2 (SO) L 3-4 (SO) W 7-3 W 3-2 (SO)

Record 0-1-0 0-1-1 1-1-1 1-1-2 1-2-2 1-3-2 2-3-2 2-3-3 2-4-3 3-4-3 4-4-3 4-5-3 5-5-3 6-5-3 6-6-3 6-7-3 7-7-3 7-8-3 7-9-3 7-10-3 8-10-3 8-11-3 8-12-3 9-12-3 9-13-3 9-13-4 10-13-4 10-14-4 11-14-4 12-14-4 12-15-4 13-15-4 13-16-4 14-16-4 15-16-4 15-17-4 15-18-4 16-18-4 16-19-4 17-19-4 17-20-4 18-20-4 19-20-4 20-20-4 20-20-5 20-21-5 21-21-5 21-22-5 22-22-5 23-22-5 24-22-5 25-22-5 26-22-5 27-22-5 28-22-5 29-22-5 30-22-5 31-22-5 32-22-5 32-23-5 33-23-5 33-23-6 34-23-6 34-24-6 34-25-6 35-25-6 36-25-6 36-25-7 36-26-7 36-27-7 37-27-7 37-27-8 38-27-8 39-27-8 40-27-8 41-27-8 41-28-8 42-28-8 43-28-8 43-28-9 44-28-9 45-28-9

Att. 18,292 17,429 16,403 21,634 16,562 20,137 19,268 15,321 17,068 17,201 16,813 17,767 16,210 17,032 16,735 21,401 18,488 17,417 16,860 17,558 16,192 17,028 18,165 18,021 13,451 16,551 15,321 16,841 16,255 16,366 17,064 18,347 18,261 18,683 17,867 17,475 16,849 17,200 16,801 19,021 17,037 17,839 18,124 18,506 10,042 17,565 17,690 18,230 16,795 18,681 10,243 19,092 18,166 17,622 17,509 12,553 18,076 19,102 18,598 17,945 18,425 18,645 16,645 15,363 18,166 16,854 17,837 17,562 18,428 13,378 18,641 18,486 17,873 18,272 18,127 18,247 17,567 16,514 17,767 21,482 18,203 17,970

LET’S GO

Time 2:35 2:39 2:37 2:38 2:36 2:22 2:31 2:37 2:37 2:32 2:32 2:27 2:31 2:21 2:33 2:19 2:25 2:24 2:21 2:39 2:30 2:35 2:36 2:38 2:30 2:37 2:27 2:22 2:38 2:39 2:26 2:33 2:31 2:23 2:21 2:33 2:29 2:25 2:30 2:25 2:23 2:28 2:27 2:26 2:29 2:24 2:34 2:33 2:21 2:24 2:30 2:32 2:30 2:50 2:28 2:23 2:26 2:22 2:37 2:33 2:39 2:31 2:20 2:30 2:32 2:34 2:26 2:19 2:20 2:23 2:24 2:34 2:31 2:16 2:30 2:22 2:21 2:23 2:32 2:39 2:34 2:35

BLUES

TEAM PHYSICIANS for the ST. LOUIS BLUES and YOU

STANLEY CUP FINAL

S4 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

M 2 • SUNDAY • 06.02.2019

BUZZ KILLERS

Penalties put Blues in a hole, box enthusiasm of long-suffering fans BENJAMIN HOCHMAN St. Louis Post-Dispatch

oston brutalization. Game 3 was a disheartening, discombobulated debacle for the home team, which had a lot to play for, since, you know, it was the first Stanley Cup Final game played in St. Louis since 1970. The Blues lost Game 3 by the score of 7-2, a football score, but now the question is – did they also lose their composure and confidence going forward? If the St. Louis Blues lose on Monday, the Bruins go home to Boston with a chance to win the Stanley Cup. Since 1939, when the Stanley Cup Final is tied 1-1 the winner of Game 3 holds a record of 22-6 (78.6 percent). David Perron’s penalty for interference, with 9:34 left in a scoreless first period, swayed the game. This is not putting the loss on one Blue, but you can point to this Boston power play as the beginning of the deluge of Boston “dirty water.” How do the Blues respond from unprecedented embarrassment? It was the first time goalie Jordan Binnington was pulled from a National Hockey League game. Three power play goals allowed by the Blues made for the first time in a decade. Then, down 6-2 late, they allowed a fourth. But it was the first penalty that opened the flood gates. The penalties were killers; so was the penalty kill. Just like in Game 1, the Blues’ other loss in this series, the numerous penalties chopped up much of the momentum St. Louis likes to build with its deep puck-dumping, bodybanging and cycle. In the first period, the Blues just lost their flow. It was abrupt and disturbing. After an actual strong start, Boston controlled the puck, opportunities endless. Gripping their sticks like they were holding on for dear life, the Blues were whipped around, chasing Boston. The first Bruins goal occurred on a power play. The next two were evenstrength but Boston strong. The Bruins utilized cross-ice passes into the zone, and Charlie Coyle, who avoided a Sammy Blais hit to stay in the play, ended up receiving the puck back and zipped one past both defenseman Jay Bouwmeester and Binnington. The third goal though, what in the world? With less than 10 seconds left, the Blues defenseman weren’t moving well, a Bruins’ tricky kick-pass to Sean Kuraly led to a bell-ringer of a shot to Binnington’s right. When the period was over, the Bruins had tallied eight scoring chances, categorized by NaturalStatTrick.com, to the Blues’ two. To think of what came before the evening began. At 7:16 pm, Binnington led the Blues onto the home ice. Soon after, as Tom Calhoun introduced the Bruins, the crowd chanted “Lets! Go! Blues!” And then, as Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” began, Calhoun announced the starters for the home team. It was electric. The ice at this building, for the first time ever, read STANLEY CUP FINAL. Charles Glenn sang the first of his two guaranteed Stanley Cup national anthems. This was a night for the long-sufferers – who knew it would lead to more suffering? Each fan entering the Enterprise Center had his or her own story. This night was a lifetime in the making for so many. “It’s 90 degrees outside, but I’ve had chills all day,” said 32-year-old Craig Wingbermuehle before the game, when optimism smothered the city like humidity. “Goosebumps. ... This, being from St. Louis, there’s nothing bigger. It’s been my whole life – all I’ve known is Blues hockey. Following the draft.

PHOTOS BY COLTER PETERSON • cpeterson@post-dispatch.com

Defenseman Robert Bortuzzo skates to the bench while the Bruins celebrate Torey Krug’s second-period goal.

Blues center Brayden Schenn and Boston’s Torey Krug ﬁght for a puck on the boards. The Blues never found their gritty game in the 7-2 loss in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Doing podcasts before podcasts existed, talking about the Blues. My whole life, I’ve just been waiting for this. Tickets (prices) are crazy – but there’s no money that would stop me from being here.” And now that it’s over, you think about Craig and you think about all the others who paid their hard-earned money to see this. The Blues let their guard down, and what a letdown. When Boston scored it’s fourth goal early in the second period, the evening’s dream was on life support. The Blues actually got a goal back, thanks to the efforts of Zach Sanford, one of the few Blues who came to play, but then, yep, another penalty. It’s hard to get that mad at Colton Parayko, considering all he’s done for this team during the postseason, but his high-sticking penalty was ill-advised, poorly timed and led to another Boston power-play goal. That was with 7:48 left in the second period, and suddenly, it was as if the clock really was showing 12:00, as in midnight for Cinderella Binnington. Jake Allen, the benched starter from seemingly an eon ago, was playing goal for St. Louis in the Stanley Cup Final. That’s how brutal Game 3 was on Saturday. Benjamin Hochman @hochman on Twitter bhochman@post-dispatch.com

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LET’S GO

BLUES

TEAM PHYSICIANS for the ST. LOUIS BLUES and YOU

S4 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

STANLEY CUP FINAL

M 3 • SUNDAY • 06.02.2019

BUZZ KILLERS

Penalties put Blues in a hole, box enthusiasm of long-suffering fans BENJAMIN HOCHMAN St. Louis Post-Dispatch

hese are the type of penalties that will keep an old hockey player up at night, years later, while thinking to himself in the dark – just what was I thinking? If the St. Louis Blues don’t win the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, the players can point to penalties in the losses of Games 1 and 3 – the latter a discombobulated debacle on Saturday at Enterprise Center. Which is more embarrassing – that the Blues committed seven penalties or that the Bruins scored seven goals? A disheartening lack of discipline. Four power-play goals allowed. The Blues averaged 2.9 penalties per game in the first three rounds of the postseason. Now, trailing 2-1 in the Cup Final, they’ve tallied games of five, five and seven. “It’s being disciplined with our sticks, and us staying out of the box is also being disciplined with the puck, as well,” Blues forward Ryan O’Reilly said. “If we can support each other better and put the puck into the right areas, we can stay away from using sticks and getting caught in these penalty situations. It’s just all investing in it the right way. “I think we’re confident that we can respond. We’re going to obviously do video review and make the adjustments that are needed, but even though it wasn’t what we wanted, we know that we can respond. We know it’s going to be a long series.” Not if the Blues keep sending players to the box. The penalties were killers; so was the penalty kill. Just like in Game 1, the Blues’ other loss in this series, the numerous penalties chopped up much of the momentum the Blues like to build with their deep puck-dumping, bodybanging and cycle. In Game 3, David Perron’s penalty for interference with 9:34 left in a scoreless first period swayed the game. This is not putting the loss on one Blue, but you can point to this Boston power play as the beginning of the deluge of Boston “dirty water.” Boston brutalization. Game 3 was a downer for the home team, which had a lot to play for, since, you know, it was the first Stanley Cup Final game played in St. Louis since 1970. The Blues lost Game 3 by the score of 7-2, a football score, but now the question is – did they also lose their composure and confidence going forward? If the Blues lose on Monday, the Bruins return to Boston with a chance to win the Stanley Cup. Since 1939, when the Stanley Cup Final is tied 1-1 the winner of Game 3 has won the Cup 22 of 28 times. “We were ready to play,” Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I felt we would be because of the guys who have been here and done it, because we tend to respond well after a loss.” In the first period, the Blues lost their flow. It was abrupt and disturbing. After a strong start by the Blues, who had the first five shots on goal, Boston just controlled the puck, opportunities endless. Gripping their sticks like they were holding on for dear life, the Blues were whipped around, chasing Boston. And think of the optimism when the evening began. At 7:16 pm, Jordan Binnington led the Blues onto the ice. Soon after, as Tom Calhoun introduced the Bruins, the crowd chanted “Lets! Go! Blues!” And then, as Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” began, Calhoun announced the starters for the home team. It was electric. The ice in this building, for the first time, read STANLEY CUP FINAL. Charles Glenn sang the first of his two guaranteed Cup national anthems. “It’s 90 degrees outside, but I’ve had chills all day,” said 32-year-old Craig Wingbermuehle before the game, when

PHOTOS BY COLTER PETERSON • cpeterson@post-dispatch.com

Defenseman Robert Bortuzzo skates to the bench while the Bruins celebrate Torey Krug’s second-period goal.

Blues center Brayden Schenn and Boston’s Torey Krug ﬁght for a puck on the boards. The Blues never found their gritty game in the 7-2 loss in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.

optimism smothered the city like humidity. “Goosebumps. ... This, being from St. Louis, there’s nothing bigger. It’s been my whole life – all I’ve known is Blues hockey. Following the draft. Doing podcasts before podcasts existed, talking about the Blues. ... Tickets are (expensive)– but there’s no money that would stop me from being here.” And now that it’s over, you think about Craig and you think about all the others who paid their hard-earned money to see this. The Blues let their guard down, and what a letdown. When Boston scored it’s fourth goal early in the second period, the evening’s dream was on life support. The Blues actually got a goal back, thanks to the efforts of Zach Sanford, one of the few Blues who came to play, but then, yep, another penalty. It’s hard to get mad at Colton Parayko, considering all he’s done for this team during the postseason, but his high-sticking penalty was ill-advised, poorly timed and led to another power-play goal. That was with 7:48 left in the second period, and suddenly, it was as if the clock really was showing 12:00, as in midnight for Cinderella Binnington. Jake Allen, the benched started from seemingly an eon ago, was playing goal for St. Louis in the Stanley Cup Final. That’s how brutal Game 3 was on Saturday.

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LET’S GO

BLUES

TEAM PHYSICIANS for the ST. LOUIS BLUES and YOU

STANLEY CUP FINAL

06.02.2019 • Sunday • M 1

ST. LOuIS POST-dISPaTCH • S5

J.B. FORBES • jforbes@post-dispatch.com

Blues fans greet the team during warmups before the start of Game 2 on Wednesday at TD Garden in Boston.

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STANLEY CUP FINAL

06.02.2019 • SUNDAY • M 2

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • S5

TRUST THE GOALTENDER Bruins expose Binnington, but he’s rallied before

BEN FREDERICKSON St. Louis Post-Dispatch

omething changed. That was the scariest part of a loss the Blues must move on from immediately to keep alive their hopes of lifting Lord Stanley’s Cup. In the rare moments when Jordan Binnington has looked shaky in a postseason the Blues would have never made if their rookie goalie had not ascended, Blues coach Craig Berube has treated the notion of swapping Binnington for backup (and former starter) Jake Allen as crazy talk, straight gobbledygook. And that approach was the right one. The most vulnerable Binnington looked — before Saturday night’s 7-2 loss in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final — was in that 6-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final. Binnington allowed five goals before the sixth was scored on an open net. The kind of saves that paved the way for Binnington to soar from fourth to first on the Blues’ depth chart, the kind of saves that paved the way for the Blues to climb from dead last in points on Jan. 3 to becoming a Cup contender, were all of a sudden not being made. After the Sharks scored five goals against Binnington in two periods, I asked Berube if he even considered going to Allen to start the third period. “No,” he answered without hesitation. “None.” You all remember what happened next. The Blues won four of their next five games, and the only time Binnington allowed more than four goals was when the Sharks scored their fifth in Game 3 thanks to an illegal hand pass that the league apologized for missing. And since the hand pass, the Blues’ finalist for the Calder Trophy built a 4-1 record with a 1.39 goals-against average as he saved 130 of the 137 shots he faced. So, that is the context that made Saturday scary. Binnington allowed five goals on 19 shots, and Berube pulled him for Allen after Torey Krug made it 5-1 Bruins in the second. Something changed. Binnington, the backbone of the Blues’ resurgence, the goalie who never looks nervous, had to be rescued against the Bruins. Gulp. Now, after a few deep breaths, don’t

J.B. FORBES • jforbes@post-dispatch.com

Blues goalie Jordan Binnington is stretched out on the ice following the Bruins’ second goal during the ﬁrst period Saturday night.

make the mistake of pinning this loss on the goalie who received few favors from his teammates. Do understand the worry that was palpable in a packed Enterprise Center. Binnington was not just mortal. He was exposed, so much so that the coach who refuses to see it when others don’t acknowledged as much with his actions. At this stage, any mistake can be exploited in an instant. The Blues, playing without postseason force Oskar Sundqvist (suspension) and the injured Robert Thomas and Vince Dunn, did not make massive errors. They made little ones that snowballed in a hurry toward a backstop that was leaking. Let’s examine the list . . . David Perron’s first-period interference penalty changed the dynamic of the game. Was it questionable? Sure. But he put himself in position to be whistled, and nothing was the same after that. The Bruins’ lethal power play did its job moments after Perron entered the box. Three of the ﬁve Boston goals Binnington failed to stop came on the power play. Note to Blues: Continuing to head to the penalty box will continue to get you beat. Sammy Blais crashed through Bru-

ins from start to finish, but it was the hit that he missed that hurt the most. His big whiff on Charlie Coyle set up the Bruins for a 3-on-2 breakaway that put a rock in your stomach before Coyle potted the puck. Joel Edmundson’s lost wrestling match with Joakim Nordstrom set up the Bruins’ third goal. Edmundson simply got spun around and pushed off the puck. Sean Kuraly took advantage, ripping the puck between the legs of both Alex Pietrangelo and Binnington. (More on that last part in a moment.) The Bruins’ fourth goal arrived before fans returned from grabbing fresh beers after the first period, but the mistake that set it up came before the intermission. The Blues’ challenge on the third goal failed to prove the Bruins were offside, and the bulk of the power play was saved for the second period. These mistakes had nothing to do with Binnington. His team made them, and he was hurt by them. But how many mistakes has Binnington erased this season? He is the fixer. On Saturday, he was flawed. The game was out of reach when the Bruins took a 4-0 lead, but still Berube

wanted to stick with Binnington. No surprise there. Allen had not played since April 3. Binnington had not been pulled for Allen since … never. Let that sink in. The number of goals Binnington allowed had less to do with Berube’s decision than the type of goals, it seemed. Remember how the Blues targeted San Jose goalie Martin Jones’ high and glove side in the last round? The Bruins are doing something similar, prioritizing the triangle of territory between Binnington’s padded legs. The ﬁve-hole is fertile, and the Bruins are determined. The Bruins goal that forced Berube’s hand on the goalie change didn’t go through Binnington’s legs. And it did deflect off Jay Bouwmeester. But the path of the puck changed just a bit, and still it zipped past Binnington. He so often stops those. Allen was in. Fans felt sick. And that’s not a shot at Allen. Because St. Louis suffers from goalierelated trauma, there will be discussion about what the Blues should do now. You have to stick with the goalie who brought you here. You have to hope Binnington’s Cinderella story did not expire in May.

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STANLEY CUP FINAL

06.02.2019 • SUNDAY • M 3

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • S5

TRUST THE GOALTENDER Bruins expose Binnington, but he’s rallied before

BEN FREDERICKSON St. Louis Post-Dispatch

omething changed. That was the most unsettling part of a loss the Blues must forget immediately if they want to keep alive their hopes of lifting Lord Stanley’s Cup. In the rare moments when Jordan Binnington has looked shaky during a postseason run the Blues would not be experiencing without the rookie goalie’s ascension, coach Craig Berube has treated the notion of swapping Binnington for backup (and former starter) Jake Allen as crazy talk, straight gobbledygook. And that approach was the correct one. Remember what happened last time? The most vulnerable Binnington has looked — before Saturday night’s 7-2 loss in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, that is — was that 6-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final. He allowed five goals before the sixth was scored on an open net. The kind of saves that launched Binnington from fourth to ﬁrst on the Blues’ depth chart were all of a sudden not being made. After the Sharks scored five in two periods, I asked Berube if he even considered going to Allen to start the third. “No,” he answered without hesitation on May 11 in San Jose. “None.” Remember what happened next. The Blues won four of their next five, and the only time Binnington allowed more than four goals was when the Sharks scored their fifth in Game 3 thanks to an illegal hand pass the league apologized for missing. Since the hand pass, the Blues’ finalist for the Calder Trophy built a 4-1 record with a 1.39 goals-against average as

J.B. FORBES • jforbes@post-dispatch.com

Blues goalie Jordan Binnington is stretched out on the ice following the Bruins’ second goal during the ﬁrst period Saturday night.

he saved 130 of the 137 shots he faced. Then came the bucket of cold water that was Saturday night. Binnington allowed five goals on 19 shots in 32 minutes and 12 seconds. Berube pulled him for Allen after Torey Krug made it 5-1 Bruins in the second. Something changed. Binnington, the backbone of the Blues’ resurgence, the goalie who never looks nervous, got pulled. Those words hardly make sense. “I have to be better, right?” Binnington said. “I have to do a better job giving the team a chance to win.” Don’t make the mistake of pinning this loss solely on a goalie who received few favors from his teammates. Do understand the worry that was palpable in a packed Enterprise Center full of fans who’d spent their entire day preparing for the game of their

lives, the Blues’ first Stanley Cup Final home game since the Nixon administration. A game that featured an impressive constellation of stars — from Jon Hamm to “The Office’s” Pam, from JJK to Mahomes, Chris Long and Bruuuuuce — included a dud from the most important star. Binnington wasn’t just mortal. He had to be rescued. “Five goals is enough,” Berube said. “Wanted to pull him and get him ready for the next game.” At this stage, any weakness can be exploited in an instant. The Blues, playing without postseason force and strong penalty killer Oskar Sundqvist (suspension) and Robert Thomas and Vince Dunn (injuries), did not make massive errors. They made little ones that snowballed in a hurry toward a backstop that was leaking. Let’s examine the list . . .

David Perron’s first-period interference penalty changed the dynamic of the game. The Bruins’ lethal power play did its job, and the Blues were playing catch-up from that point forward. Three of the ﬁve goals Binnington failed to stop came on the power play. Note to the Blues: Continuing to head to the penalty box will continue to get you beat. Sammy Blais smashed Bruins from start to ﬁnish, but it was the hit he missed that hurt the most. His whiff on Charlie Coyle set up the Bruins for a breakaway that put a rock in your stomach before Coyle scored. Joel Edmundson’s unsuccessful wrestling match with Joakim Nordstrom sparked the Bruins’ third goal. Edmundson simply got spun around and pushed off the puck. Sean Kuraly took advantage, ripping the puck between the legs of both Alex Pietrangelo and Bin-

nington. (More on that last part in a moment.) The Bruins’ fourth goal came on a power play that was set up by a failed challenge. These problems had nothing to do with Binnington. Like pucks deflected in an unfortunate manner, he was simply hurt by them. But how many mistakes has Binnington erased this season? He is the Blues’ fixer. On Saturday, he was flawed. Berube’s actions told us so. The game was out of reach when the Bruins took a 4-0 lead, but still Berube wanted to stick with Binnington. No surprise there. Allen had not played since April 3. Binnington had not been pulled for Allen since, well, never. Let that sink in. The Torey Krug goal that forced Berube’s hand on the goalie switch did graze defenseman Jay Bouwmeester’s stick. The path of the puck didn’t change much. Easy? Few are. Yet Binnington makes harder saves all the time. Allen was in. Fans felt sick. That’s not a shot at Allen. The number of goals Binnington allowed had less to do with Berube’s decision than the type of goals, it seemed. Last series, the Blues targeted San Jose goalie Martin Jones high and to his glove side. It worked. The Bruins seem to be doing something similar. They are prioritizing the territory between Binnington’s padded legs. The five-hole is open, and the Bruins are relentless. Binnington must adjust. Because St. Louis suffers from goalie-related trauma, some might call for Allen in Game 4. Stop it. Binnington is strong coming off of losses. Allen didn’t see five shots before he allowed a goal. You stick with the goalie who brought you here. You pray May was not the midnight of Binnington’s Cinderella story. Ben Frederickson @Ben_Fred on Twitter bfrederickson@post-dispatch.com

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S6 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

STANLEY CUP FINAL

M 1 • SUnDAy • 06.02.2019

SCENES FROM GAME 2 Blues 3, Bruins 2, OT

J.B. FORBES • jforbes@post-dispatch.com

Blues Brayden Schenn, Oskar Sundqvist, and Alex Pietrangelo close in to help goalie Jordan Binnington with a loose puck during the second period Wednesday at TD Garden in Boston,

J.B. FORBES • jforbes@post-dispatch.com

David Perron and Sammy Blais skate away after slamming the Bruins’ Torey Krug into the boards during the first period.

J.B. FORBES • jforbes@post-dispatch.com

Connor Clifton and Brayden Schenn confront each other during the second period. The Blues won 3-2 in overtime.

J.B. FORBES • jforbes@post-dispatch.com

Alex Pietrangelo and Ivan Barbashev celebrate after Carl Gunnarsson scored the winning goal in overtime.

STANLEY CUP FINAL

S6 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

M 2 • SUnDAy • 06.02.2019

SCENES FROM GAME 3

LAURIE SKRIVAN • lskrivan@post-dispatch.com

Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington is dejected after Charlie Coyle’s goal stretched the Bruins’ lead to 2-0 in the first period. Binnington was pulled for the first time in the playoffs.

COLTER PETERSON • cpeterson@post-dispatch.com

Blues fans didn’t have much to cheer about Saturday. The Blues trailed 3-0 after the first period and never closed the gap to two goals.

LAURIE SKRIVAN • lskrivan@post-dispatch.com

Bruins forward David Pastrnak (88) checks Blues defenseman Colton Parayko in the first period of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.

COLTER PETERSON • cpeterson@post-dispatch.com

Jane Dueker holds up an inflatable Stanley Cup during pregame festivities Saturday. The Blues’ hopes were deflated early.

LAURIE SKRIVAN • lskrivan@post-dispatch.com

Blues center Ivan Barbashev and teammate Alexander Steen celebrate Barbashev’s second-period goal that cut the Boston lead to 4-1.

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S6 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

STANLEY CUP FINAL

M 3 • SUnDAy • 06.02.2019

SCENES FROM GAME 3

J.B. FORBES • jforbes@post-dispatch.com

Blues great Brett Hull watches rinkside as Patrice Bergeron hits Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester.

LAURIE SKRIVAN • lskrivan@post-dispatch.com

Boston players celebrate defenseman Torey Krug’s second-period power-play goal that stretched the Bruins’ lead to 5-1 Saturday night in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. Boston was four-for-four on the power play.

LAURIE SKRIVAN • lskrivan@post-dispatch.com

Ivan Barbashev celebrates his second-period score against Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask.

LAURIE SKRIVAN • lskrivan@post-dispatch.com

Blues forward Alexander Steen (20) and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (27) watch Noel Acciari’s empty-net goal in the third period.

COLTER PETERSON • cpeterson@post-dispatch.com

Blues fans didn’t have much to cheer about Saturday. The Blues trailed 3-0 after the first period and never closed the gap to two goals.

J.B. FORBES • jforbes@post-dispatch.com

Blues Sammy Blais and Jay Bouwmeester check Boston’s David Backes in the first period Saturday.

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STANLEY CUP FINAL

06.02.2019 • Sunday • M 1

ST. LOuIS POST-dISPaTCH • S7

LAURIE SKRIVAN • lskrivan@post-dispatch.com

Kirkwood’s Mike Rekart and Tim Pannett celebrate the Blues’ 3-2 Game 2 overtime win during a watch party Wednesday at Enterprise Center.

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TWO THINGS T H AT A RE

GREAT ON ICE

D R IN K R E S P O N S IB LY JACK DANIEL’S and OLD NO. 7 are registered trademarks. © 2019 Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, 40% Alcohol by Volume (80 proof ). Distilled and Bottled by JACK DANIEL DISTILLERY, Lynchburg, Tennessee.

STANLEY CUP FINAL

06.02.2019 • Sunday • M 2

ST. LOuIS POST-dISPaTCH • S7

NOTEBOOK

‘OLD SCHOOL’ SUITS HAMM

St. Louis actor has been a Blues fan for as long as he can remember to be loud. “These guys really (play for each other). It’s really fun to watch. It’s not Connor McDavid or (Auston) Matthews or any of these wunderkinds running around. It’s guys dumping the puck in, playing the forecheck, playing kind of old-school hockey and playing it really well. And when they do it, they do it better than anybody else. So I’m optimistic. I’m cautiously optimistic. But I think these guys are something special, and (Carl) Gunnarsson’s a perfect example of that: Taking a leak next to (Craig) Berube and going, ‘Give me one more chance.’ All right, here’s your ‘nother chance. Oh, it went in. Cool. Use that urinal again.”

BY TOM TIMMERMANN St. Louis Post-dispatch

Jon Hamm and the Blues go back a ways. Before he was an Emmy Awardwinning actor, he was a kid growing up in St. Louis. “When we would drive down Highway 40,” he recalled prior to Game 3, “if (the Blues) were in town and (his father) saw the marquee light up, he’d say, ‘Want to go to a hockey game?’ And I’d say, ‘yeah.’ And those were back in the days when you could smoke in an arena. So the top third of the building was just smoke. But it was still so exciting to watch, especially as a little kid. It’s guys ﬂying around on the ice, it was like nothing you’d ever seen. “So it goes back to being a little kid and being around for a lot of heartbreak and a lot of expectations that we didn’t quite live up to, but a lot of fun. And I’ve known versions of this team for some time now, and it’s funny, when you start to see it click together, it’s a pretty great thing to watch. I think these guys are locked in and they certainly look like it.” Hamm, who lives in Los Angeles, is no dilettante when it comes to the Blues. He and the Blues have hung out on various occasions, and his knowledge of the team has won over the players. “I was impressed with his knowledge of the team,” defenseman Robert Bortuzzo said. “Any time someone knows sixth defenseman Robert Bortuzzo, I give him a lot of credit. A true fan. He’s passionate about our team. Just a good guy. Super down to earth and fun to be around.” “It’s always nice to see Jon Hamm around,” defenseman Joel Edmundson said. “He was at the Game 7 against Dallas, and we went out for beers with him after.” Like most St. Louisans, this is new territory for Hamm. “I have no experience with this,” Hamm said. “I wasn’t around in 1970. I was negative 1. I’ve been to only one other Stanley Cup game in my life (Kings-Rangers in 2014) … It’s exciting. There’s no other way to do it. When they got to the final, I texted my best friend in Australia and said, ‘Are you coming?’ He said, ‘no.’ I said, ‘yeah, you are.’ Flew him out. It’s just exciting. I can’t imagine what’s going through the minds and hearts of the boys on the bench, and I hope they’re committed to that emotion. But the building’s going

WELCOME BACK ZACH

As anticipated, Zach Sanford returned to the lineup, playing on the fourth line with Ivan Barbashev and Alexander Steen while Oskar Sundqvist served his one-game suspension. Robert Thomas missed his second straight game, and Robby Fabbri stayed in. Defenseman Vince Dunn was out again. Also, Boston defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, who was on the receiving end of Sundqvist’s suspension-earning hit, did not play. He was replaced by John Moore, making his sixth appearance of the playoffs. Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said he didn’t think Grzelcyk had resumed skating back in Boston.

NOTES

J.B. FORBES • jforbes@post-dispatch.com

Charles Glenn had the crowd sing along with the national anthem before the start of Game 3. Unfortunately for Blues fans, “Gloria” wasn’t played after the game.

The pregame video to pump up the crowd featured Bobby Plager, Bernie Federko, Alex Pietrangelo, Brett Hull and Chris Pronger. “Hey Buddy. We’re back,” Plager said to close it. The crowd approved. … Gunnarsson’s overtime goal in Game 2 was just the third time in NHL history a player got his ﬁrst career playoff goal in overtime in the Stanley Cup Final. The others were Cy Wentworth of Chicago in Game 3 of 1931 and Brian Skrudland of Montreal in Game 2 of 1986. … Along with Hamm, luminaries in the crowd for Game 3 included Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Howie Long, Chris Long, Isaac Bruce and Patrick Mahomes. … Charles Glenn, in one of his final anthems before he retires, invited the crowd to sing along on the national anthem. Kelly Sutherland and Steve Kozari, who worked Game 1, were the referees.

Tom Timmermann • 314-340-8190 @tomtimm on Twitter ttimmermann@post-dispatch.com

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GREAT ON ICE

STANLEY CUP FINAL

M 1 • SUnDAy • 06.02.2019

MARYVILLE. MANY CONNECTIONS. ONE U.

S8 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

F R O M P L AY I N G T H E G A M E TO M A N AG I N G I T Even if you’re no longer an athlete, you can still go pro. In the Rawlings Sport Business Management Program at Maryville University, you’ll study management, finance, marketing, operations, and communications. Everything needed to get you ready for the big game in the business of sports. To learn more, visit maryville.edu or call 800.627.9855. Maryville University is proud to support the St. Louis Blues and congratulates them on advancing to the Stanley Cup Final. L E T ’ S G O B LU E S !