NHL Playoffs!

[sad99]

One other reason it's nice that the Blues won.

https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1139010181294120960

[robj144]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Binnington was amazing. I think he should have won Conn Smythe. Bruins were all over him in the first but couldn't get anything by him.

Congrats to the Blues. Amazing that they were in last place in the NHL in Jan and now they're hosting the Cup.

Congrats to the Blues. They took advantage of the chances they had.

Not trying to be disrespectful, but objectively Bennington, while being great in a game 7 which is impressive for a rookie, was pretty good this series. Not great in my opinion. He had a couple of not so great games, and gave up quite a few soft goals this series.

[Jobe]

Originally Posted by Otterhound

How do like your Crow served , Sir ?

Medium rare. A side of sweet and sour sauce. I think an expensive red wine would be fine with a brandy after my meal. I require fresh napkins between each service. Linen of course and folded just the right way. Thank you.

[Pura Vida]

Congrats to the St. Louis Blues. Well deserved and a great championship for their city and franchise. Binnington played an outstanding game, and STL took advantage of opportunities to score without giving those same opportunities the other way. Great series and a fascinating playoff season. And some praise to Rask, who was outstanding throughout the playoffs, and played well in this game (his team just couldn't convert on the other end of the ice).

[Jobe]

It was weird. Game 6 St Louis couldn't get a bounce while playing some good hockey. Tonight the Bruins just couldn't get that finish play on offence. The hockey gods have spoken. Both teams played their heart out and it was fun to watch. I am heartbroken but not angry. Great series.

[rmp]

The serious lack of offense from the Bruins two top lines, was a concern all playoffs, that was on full display last night. Had those guys ever shown up, this would have probably had a different out come.

[Everton FC]

The reason the Blues won?

Berube. The Chief got it done.

Now we talk about the NHL Draft! Gotta keep this thread going, hockey fans!!

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by rmp

The serious lack of offense from the Bruins two top lines, was a concern all playoffs, that was on full display last night. Had those guys ever shown up, this would have probably had a different out come.

Seriously? The first period was ALL Bruins offense - the puck almost never crossed center ice except when it was about to be called icing... They had all sorts of shots on goal - the St. Louis goalie just picked a good time to be perfect and stopped everything they shot at him. Toward the end of that period I was thinking, 'it's just a matter of time' - Boston is gonna kill 'em. And then St. Louis got those two quick goals on two of the only possessions that they got close to decent shots on goal from and the whole thing changed. But it wasn't a lack of offense from Boston - just lack of scoring...

-Ray

[Acousticado]

What I saw early in the game which helped set the tone for the Blues was despite their ability to get many shots, they were way more energetic than the Bruins, instituting aggressive forechecking, repeatedly beating the Bruins to the puck, especially in Boston’s end. When the Bruins were getting shots, they were quality chances, but Binnington was totally in the zone to shut them down.

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by Acousticado

What I saw early in the game which helped set the tone for the Blues was despite their ability to get many shots, they were way more energetic than the Bruins, instituting aggressive forechecking, repeatedly beating the Bruins to the puck, especially in Boston’s end. When the Bruins were getting shots, they were quality chances, but Binnington was totally in the zone to shut them down.

Well, I'm not an educated hockey viewer (parts of the last two games are roughly all the hockey I watched all year), but what the first period last night looked like to me was all Bruins, keeping the puck in their offensive end almost constantly except when the Blues could ice it and get a quick break before the next face-off. When St. Louis would get the puck, they'd turn it over way too often, launching more frenetic activity from the Bruins, often resulting in a shot on goal, many of them very good shots from fairly close range.

That St. Louis survived that period seemed ALL about Binnington to me. A hot goalie is just like a great starting pitcher - he just shuts everything down, even a lineup of great hitters. And then when the Blues got those two late goals in the first, it just turned. I flipped over and watched something else for about an hour and a half and when I came back to the game, I'd missed the second period and got back just in time to see St. Louis score their third goal. And at that point, it was all St. Louis. Boston looked beaten and disorganized when they were on offense, and the Blues had the puck in their offensive end a LOT more than in the first, when they barely did at all. And then when they hit that fourth goal with just a few minutes left, the game was definitely over, if it hadn't been already.

Yeah, you have to score too, but it sure looks like there's NOTHING more critical than having a hot goalie in the big moments. Boston looked sooooo dominant in that first period and to come away from that down 2-0 has to make you start thinking it's just not your night.

[Arch Stanton]

I concur ray! Good write-up.

Always the Patriots!

[Pura Vida]

Spot-on observations, Ray. Hopefully, the game helped convert you as a fan of the sport (at least during playoffs).

Boston came into the 1st period with an intensity, hoping to take an early lead and dominate the game. Binnington shut it down, and then STL capitalized on opportunities to score two goals. This was exactly what BOS did to other teams throughout the playoffs (Rask + Power Play = Wins), so it was interesting to see the situation reversed. I thought that second goal was particularly damaging, but when STL went up 3-0, BOS had to been deflated.

[Arch Stanton]

Originally Posted by rmp

The serious lack of offense from the Bruins two top lines, was a concern all playoffs, that was on full display last night. Had those guys ever shown up, this would have probably had a different out come.

I also agree entirely. Thats 100% correct!

[Mr. Paul]

Yep, if a hot goalie is hot enough, it's a trump card that can not be beaten. Boston could have run away with that game if they'd cashed in on a couple of their numerous opportunities before St. Louis scored.

But, they didn't.

Good for the St Louis fans, always fun to see a fan base taste the championship for the first time.

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by Pura Vida

Spot-on observations, Ray. Hopefully, the game helped convert you as a fan of the sport (at least during playoffs).

I've tried over the years, but I just can't get into it. When there's a good story line in the playoffs, I'll usually check it out a little. Like when The Flyers came back from 3-0 against the Bruins several years ago in the semi-finals. Or this year the Blues were a pretty good story. But I don't think I've watched more than a couple of hours of hockey in an entire season pretty much ever, except for the occasional games I've gone to. But I don't think I've been to one in 20 years or so...

Love basketball. Love baseball. HATE football but I'm totally addicted to it and watch it all the time. Don't love or hate hockey, just never really enjoyed watching it enough to come back for more. Can't say why - it's got all the ingredients. But just doesn't work for me.