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A18 SPORTS
Friday 14 June 2019
Season of comeback? Blues lock down games to win Cup

By STEPHEN WHYNO of a game for an oppo-
AP Hockey Writer nent to come back on the
BOSTON (AP) — When Alex Blues. They also went 4-1
Pietrangelo lifted a back- in chances to eliminate a
hander over Tuukka Rask team — and after losing
to give the St. Louis Blues Game 6 on home ice were
a two-goal lead late in clinical in holding on to a
the first period, Boston fans multi-goal lead in Game 7.
went silent and the eerie “Goals are scored, no lead
quiet lasted throughout in- is safe,” said rookie goal-
termission. tender Jordan Binnington,
With good reason. The a big part of making sure
Blues had only lost one of Blues’ leads were safe.
25 playoff games when up Binnington came out of no-
two goals. where to lead St. Louis to
The Bruins found out what the Stanley Cup. He didn’t
San Jose Sharks, Dallas Stars have the best numbers in
and Winnipeg Jets learned the playoffs, or at least not
the hard way: Don’t let St. close to his otherworldly
Louis take a lead. regular season, but he was
Craig Berube’s team the biggest reason St. Louis
showed all playoffs it could won Game 5 to move to
lock down a hockey game the verge of winning it all
better than anyone else in St. Louis Blues head coach Craig Berube carries the Stanley Cup after the Blues defeated the and made stopped 32 of
the NHL. Their style of game Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, in Boston. the 33 shots he faced in
translates perfectly to play- Associated Press Game 7.
ing with a lead, a recipe the rest of the series. working with him and I Louis go from last in the NHL The 25-year-old made 12
that helped them finish That can be traced back to look forward to working on the morning of Jan. 3 to first-period saves Wednes-
off Boston 4-1 Wednesday Berube’s changes when he with him for a long time to the playoffs. day to stunt a Bruins on-
night in Game 7 to lift the took over as interim coach come,” added Armstrong, “We’ve been doing that slaught, then everything
Stanley Cup. for Mike Yeo in November. who then laughed when since January, and it’s been about the course of the
“We did a real good job He instituted a north-south Berube’s interim title was working almost every single game changed with Pi-
in the middle of the ice to- brand of hockey that bet- mentioned. “We’re going game,” hard-checking for- etrangelo’s stunning goal
night, especially in our own ter suited the roster general to work that out.” ward Oskar Sundqvist said. with 7.9 seconds on the
end — good sticks, clog- manager Doug Armstrong St. Louis showed it could “We were playing really clock. The Blues could then
ging it up, blocking shots,” put together. Asked after put a stranglehold on op- tight and we were staying be at their best. Check-
Berube said. “I thought our Game 7 on the ice what ponents when playing with connected throughout the ing and defending got the
guys, they did a real good Berube’s hiring meant to a lead. They finished the whole ice. We were help- Blues here. They showed
job in the middle of the ice, St. Louis, Armstrong didn’t playoffs 13-4 when scoring ing each other in a great resiliency in the face of ad-
clogging it up, not giving hesitate. first, 8-2 when leading after way. I don’t know. We just versity, like a missed hand
them anything free there.” “Everything,” he said sim- one period and 10-1 when stuck with it and kept doing pass in overtime of Game 3
After the regular season ply. “He came in. one of leading after two. what we needed to do.” against San Jose last round,
saw an NHL-record 138 the things he did right away Even Bruins coach Bruce Because of how well the and more than anything
multi-goal comebacks, the was he took down the Cassidy conceded that Blues defend and even they prided themselves on
Blues blew a two-goal lead standings. ... He said, ‘Let’s the Blues “play a differ- move the puck differently playing like Berube did dur-
in Game 1 of the final and just go to work every day.’” ent game” when they’re when they’re ahead in a ing his career — tough and
then completely suffocat- “He doesn’t get too high, ahead. Much of that is the game, it gets increasingly giving opponents as little
ed the Bruins when ahead too low ... I learned a lot structure that helped St. difficult over the course room as possible.q

Perry, Shin tied for lead in rain-delayed Meijer LPGA

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) “I think that was hugely im- tage of that. Made a few
— Katherine Perry and Jen- portant, just hitting it close birdies coming in.”
ny Shin shared the lead at on the first hole and then Mariajo Uribe of Colombia
6-under 66 when first-round making that putt,” Perry had a hole-in-one on the
play in the rain-delayed said. “I made a 30-footer 15th — her sixth hole — in a
Meijer LPGA Classic was or so on the next hole. Just 67. She birdied the final two
suspended because of really gave me confidence holes. Brooke Henderson,
darkness Thursday night. with my putting.” the Canadian star who
Playing in the second group Shin finished on the front won the 2017 event, also
of the day off the first tee, nine, making three straight aced the 15th shortly be-
Perry had eight birdies and birdies on Nos. 6-8. The fore play was suspended.
two bogeys at Blythefield Minjee Lee, of Austrlia, tees off on the first hole during the first South Korean player won She was 4 under through six
Country Club in the round round of the Meijer LPGA Classic golf tournament at Blythefield the 2016 Volunteers of holes. Playing partners Lexi
that started seven hours Country Club on Thursday, June 13, 2019, in Belmont, Mich. America Texas Shootout for Thompson and So Yeon Ryu
late because of heavy rain. Associated Press her lone LPGA Tour title. were even par. Thompson,
“It was a weird day,” Perry napping, but it turned out Making only her fourth “I had a few close shots, the 2015 winner, is coming
said. “There was a lot go- to be beautiful out here. LPGA Tour start of the sea- within 3 feet, and then off a victory last week in
ing on from the beginning, My swing was on, putting son, the former North Caro- made a few putts,” Shin New Jersey in the ShopRite
just waking up at 5, hang- stroke was on from the lina player birdied three of said. “The par 5s are reach- LPGA Classic. Ryu is the de-
ing out, going back and start, so it was a great day.” the first four holes. able here so I took advan- fending champion. q