Page 21 - ARUBA TODAY

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SPORTS Wednesday 5 June 2019
Blues beat Bruins to knot Stanley Cup Final at 2-all

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Just when forth thriller, with Boston's
the St. Louis Blues had the Tuukka Rask and St. Louis'
Boston Bruins on their heels Jordan Binnington each
and chasing the game, giving up tons of rebounds
they gave up a goal and for frantic scoring chances
the roar went right out of and scrums.
the building. Vladimir Tarasenko scored
The Blues could have let his 11th goal of the playoffs,
the talented Bruins seize and Binnington made 21
the moment, let things get saves to improve to 7-2 in
away from them on home the postseason after a loss.
ice. Again. Even more impressive was
They didn't. The team that the rookie's bounce-back
was mired in last place in from being pulled in Game
the NHL in January, that 3 for the first time in his NHL
suffered from missed calls career. Rask allowed three
in the playoffs and slogged goals on 37 shots and was
through some tough losses on the receiving end of
instead showed the resolve several Blues onslaughts.
of a championship con- "He spit some rebounds
tender and is now two vic- out," Bruins coach Bruce
tories away from lifting the Cassidy said of Rask. "But I
Stanley Cup. don't have an issue with his Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask (40), of Finland, gloves the puck during the third period of
Ryan O'Reilly scored the rebound control." Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues Monday, June 3, 2019, in
opening goal 43 seconds Charlie Coyle scored for St. Louis.
in and the winner with 9:22 the third consecutive Associated Press
left, and he and the Blues game, and Brandon Carlo
thrived in a chaotic Game had a short-handed goal cashing in two rebounds to pump up the crowd sec- yet another momentum
4 of the Stanley Cup Fi- for Boston, but their stars off Rask for his first multi- onds before puck drop, swing that came on special
nal on Monday night to were quiet again and a goal game since Novem- "Are you ready? Let's Go teams: The Blues killed off a
beat the Bruins 4-2 and tie big problem may be brew- ber. After losing 15 of his 23 Blues!" Bruins power play and then
this bruising series at two ing: Boston captain Zdeno faceoffs in a tough Game They were ready, all right, hemmed Boston in its own
games apiece. Chara was knocked out of 3, O'Reilly was dominant all and it started with O'Reilly's end for more than three
"We knew what we had to the game by a puck to the over the ice. goal that was the Blues' minutes. While St. Louis
do tonight to be a better mouth. Chara was allowed "He's been our best player sixth in the opening two cycled the puck in the of-
team," coach Craig Ber- to sit on the bench, but it's all year and he got reward- minutes. They have done fensive zone and changed
ube said. "We were relent- uncertain if he'll be able to ed," winger Patrick Maroon that now in all four rounds several forward lines and
less tonight. We didn't stop play in Game 5 when the said of O'Reilly. and are 6-0 when jump- defensive pairings, Boston
for 60 minutes." Bruins could be without two Hockey Hall of Famer ing out to a 1-0 lead in a defenders were gassed
Game 5 is Thursday night in of their top six defensemen. and Blues alum Brett Hull game's first 20 minutes. and Connor Clifton took a
Boston. O'Reilly ended an eight- screamed at the top of his But this victory was all penalty for an illegal check
This one was a back-and- game goal drought by lungs into the microphone about responding well to to the head of Tarasenko.q

CHARA es, probably some dental counting lockout years) 62
Continued from Page 18 work in the near future. He games this season because
"Right now, I've got noth- wanted to come out on of an unspecified injury that
ing," Cassidy said. "But we the bench and be with his kept him out six weeks in
don't play for two more teammates." November and December.
days." His teammates knew how Although it's too early to
Although the 42-year-old difficult it was for him to just rule him out for Game 5 —
Chara is the team's elder sit there. or perhaps longer — Cas-
statesman and emotional "He's our leader, and the sidy said the most likely
leader, Cassidy said he is biggest part of our leader- replacements would be
less worried about Chara's ship," forward David Pas- Steven Kampfer or rookies
leadership than his 6-foot-9 trnak said. "Anything that Urho Vaakanainen, Jeremy
presence on the ice. comes out of his mouth ... Lauzon, and Jakub Zbo-
"Taking great players out of everybody is listening to ril. Only Kampfer, with two
the lineup, that's the part him." games of playoff experi-
that hurts the most," Cas- Blues coach Craig Berube ence, has appeared in a
sidy said. "I'm not worried Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara, of Slovakia, kneels on said he had a broken jaw postseason game.
about our mentality." the ice after being hit in the face by the puck during the second when he was a player and "If both guys (Chara and
period of Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final against
The Bruins have made it the St. Louis Blues Monday, June 3, 2019, in St. Louis. was out six weeks. But if Grzelcyk) are out, it's not
through the playoffs without Associated Press Chara has the same injury an easy decision," Cassidy
defenseman Kevan Miller and misses the rest of the said. "It's not one I want to
and also lost Matt Grzelcyk men on the blue line again mouth. He returned at the series, it won't change the make, but you have to do
when he took an elbow to Monday night when Chara start of the third wearing Blues' approach. what you have to do."
the head in Game 2 and took a deflected shot from the shield but never went "Nothing from our stand- But don't rule them out just
needed to be helped off Brayden Schenn off the back in the game. point," he said. yet. "Both of those players,
the ice. John Moore filled right side of the face. He "Very uncomfortable, was A six-time All-Star and the they're warriors," defense-
in for him in the third game, crumpled to the ice, face- advised not to return to perennial team leader in man Charlie McAvoy said.
which the Bruins won.But first, and then skated off, play," Cassidy said after the minutes played, Chara "They'll do whatever it takes
they were down to five with blood dripping from his game. "Had some stitch- played a career-low (not to play."q