Boston Bruins vs. St. Louis Blues: 3 takeaways from Game 1

The Boston Bruins came out on top over the St. Louis Blues in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, topping them 4-2. Here are three takeaways from the opening game.

Game 1 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final was a great one. It was a close affair, but the Boston Bruins came out on top over the St. Louis Blues 4-2. Sean Kuraly picked up the game-winning goal in the third period while Brad Marchand iced the game with an empty net goal.

Let’s take a look at three takeaways from Game 1.

No Rust

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The Bruins didn’t show much rust in Game 1. Though it took them a little bit to get their legs under them, they were able to get going and pick up a much-needed win. After the first period, the shots on goal were tied at eight each. For the final 40 minutes, the Bruins outshot the Blues 30-12.

The Bruins have now won seven straight games – two against the Columbus Blue Jackets, four against the Carolina Hurricanes, and one against the Blues.

Goaltender Tuukka Rask allowed just two goals on 20 shots. He didn’t show any signs of rust, as both of the goals he allowed were tough ones to stop. The Bruins outshot the Blues by a 37 to 20 margin.

St. Louis has been strong on the road this postseason. Considering how bad they’ve been at home during the playoffs, Game 2 is a must win for them.

Special Teams

Charlie McAvoy tied the game in the second period on a power-play goal. Overall, the Bruins got five power plays while the Blues got just two. St. Louis has to find a way to stay out of the penalty box. If the Blues can’t stop committing penalties, the Bruins are going to continue to make them pay.

Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington stopped the game from getting out of hand, stopping nine of the 10 shots he saw during the power plays. His teammates have got to throw him a bone and stay out of the box.

On the other end, the Blues failed to score on both of their power play opportunities. They didn’t make Rask do much, as he only had to stop two shots on goal during their two power plays.

Bruins Scoring Depth

The Bruins only got one goal from their three best players – and that was an empty net goal from Marchand. Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak combined for seven shots on goal but didn’t have any points. Meanwhile, the Blues got goals from Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko.

However, the Bruins got goals from their fourth line (courtesy of Kuraly) and two goals from their blueline (from McAvoy and Connor Clifton). The Blues came into this series with the more balanced lineup, but Boston got goals from their other players when they needed them.