Stanley Cup matchup holds plenty of intrigue
Fans can get excited over Bruins and Blues after playoffs dulled by upsets and sweeps
This hasn’t been a perfect Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Far from it, actually. Upsets and four-game sweeps have taken over the post-season like no other in recent memory. The top-seeded Lightning and defending champion Capitals both went out in the first round, along with Calgary, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Vegas and Winnipeg. And while the NBA playoffs have relied on the superstars to sell its product, the NHL hasn’t been as lucky now that Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Nathan MacKinnon are nowhere to be found.
And yet, it’s difficult not to get excited about the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues meeting in the final.
This might not have been drawn up according to plan, but now that it’s here, you really couldn’t have asked for a better matchup and better storylines.
From revisiting Bobby Orr’s iconic game-winner against St. Louis in 1970, to the Blues trying to end an almost 50-year championship drought, to the veterans and unsung heroes looking to hoist the Stanley Cup, here are five things to watch for once the final series kicks off on May 27.
DONE WITH THE DROUGHT?
This is the big storyline. While Boston is trying to win its second Cup of the decade, the Blues have never won a championship since entering the league more than 50 years ago. If St. Louis were to win, the Toronto Maple Leafs would have sole possession of the NHL’s longest current drought.
Maybe that’s why Brett Hull sounded so emotional after his former team booked a trip to the final for the first time since 1970.
“I still can’t stop crying,” Hull said in an interview with KMOX Sports. “I can’t even fathom how awesome this is for the people of St. Louis.”
ONE LAST KICK AT THE CUP
It would have been great had 40-year-old Joe Thornton received a final chance at winning his first Stanley Cup. But he was hardly the only greybeard looking to cap off his career with a championship.
Boston’s David Backes, who is 35, is playing in his first final after appearing in 928 regular-season games. St. Louis’ Jay Bouwmeester and Alex Steen are also 35, and have amassed 2,147 games combined without getting this close.
And then there’s Zdeno Chara. While he already won a Cup in 2011, picking up another one at age 42 would be the perfect way to end his Hall of Fame career. That is, assuming the fitness freak won’t come back and play for another 10 years.
TOP DOGS
When it comes to top lines, Boston’s trio of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak might have been the best in the league. Certainly, with a combined 22 goals and 46 points in 17 games, they’ve been deadly in the playoffs.
St. Louis spreads around its offence a bit more, so even if Jaden Schwartz (12 goals and 16 points), Vladimir Tarasenko (eight goals and 13 points) and Brayden Schenn (two goals and seven points) aren’t scoring, the Bruins will have to worry just as much about Ryan O’Reilly (three goals and 14 points), David Perron (six goals and 13 points) and even fourth-liner Oskar Sundqvist (four goals and eight points).
GREENER PASTURES
It was shortly after joining the Blues as a free agent that Tyler Bozak wrote a column for the Players’ Tribune to explain his decision to leave Toronto: “I want to win a Cup. So damn bad,” Bozak, who has five goals and 10 points in the playoffs, wrote back in July. “That’s why I signed in St. Louis. There’s your headline. Print it.”
Boston’s Jaroslav Halak made a similar gamble when he signed a two-year deal in Boston, even if it meant becoming a backup to Tuukka Rask. Though Halak hasn’t seen a single minute in these playoffs — and probably won’t if Rask keeps playing the way he has — keep in mind that he did play in 40 games this season and was a big reason why Rask seems so well-rested.
CONN SMYTHE CANDIDATES
It’s been seven years since a goalie was named the MVP of the playoffs. But barring a complete meltdown in the final, you can pretty much guarantee that either Boston’s Rask or St. Louis’ Jordan Binnington will win the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Rask, who outplayed Frederik Andersen and Sergei Bobrovsky before sweeping the Hurricanes, has the better numbers (1.84 goals-against average and .942 save percentage) and keeps getting better with each round. But Binnington, who outlasted Dallas’ Ben Bishop in a Game 7 double-OT in Round 2, has the hockey gods on his side. Since being called up in January, the 25-year-old rookie has been on a magical run, winning a combined 36 of 51 games in the regular season and playoffs.