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SPORTS Thursday 6 June 2019
Blues wearing down Bruins in Cup Final battle of attrition

By STEPHEN WHYNO depending on who's in or
AP Hockey Writer out of the lineup on the
BOSTON (AP) — Twice the other side. That includes
Boston Bruins have been Chara, even though miss-
forced to finish a Stanley ing him on the penalty
Cup Final game down a kill and defensively could
defenseman. The St. Louis make a big difference.
Blues won each time. "We prepare for a game
That's not a coincidence. from our side," Conn
Wearing out opponents Smythe Trophy candidate
and winning the war of at- Vladimir Tarasenko said.
trition has been an ingredi- "We can control our game.
ent of the Blues' playoff suc- We don't know what's gon-
cess. They took advantage na happen if he's gonna
of injuries to San Jose's Erik play or no. We just follow
Karlsson, Joe Pavelski and our plan. That's it."
Tomas Hertl to move on to The absence of Chara
the final, and with Boston could prove to be the tip-
potentially without captain ping point in a bruising
Zdeno Chara for Game 5 battle between the Bruins
Thursday St. Louis is now and Blues. Boston defen-
two victories away from lift- seman Matt Grzelcyk is
ing the Stanley Cup as the out with a concussion and
healthier team. St. Louis forward Robert
"We can see it throughout Thomas is out with a sus- Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara (33), of Slovakia, is helped off the ice after getting hit in
games and throughout pected hand or wrist injury. the face with the puck during the second period of Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final
series," Blues captain Alex Cassidy said Grzelcyk, who against the St. Louis Blues Monday, June 3, 2019, in St. Louis.
Pietrangelo said Wednes- practiced in a no-contact Associated Press
day. "It's tough minutes to jersey Wednesday, is still in
play against our forward concussion protocol and Meanwhile, St. Louis is the ice now." trice Bergeron said. "He has
lines when they're playing would need to be medical- relatively healthy except It appears rugged Rob- a good read and a good
the way they can. You can ly cleared in order to play in for Thomas. The Blues got ert Bortuzzo will return to feel on how to do that and
see the momentum we Game 5 on Thursday night. defenseman Vince Dunn the Blues' lineup in place how to handle it."
create by our line changes If Boston is without two of back for Game 4 after he of Joel Edmundson, who Berube has tweaked far
in the offensive zone, we're its top five defensemen missed almost three weeks had his ice time reduced more in this series than pre-
just using all four lines. If I in Chara and Grzelcyk, it after taking a puck to the for performance reasons vious rounds, all the while
was a defenseman, that would mean bigger roles face in the West final, and by coach Craig Berube in counting on St. Louis to not
would be tough to defend for John Moore and Connor he assisted on a goal and Game 4 . Bortuzzo came stray from its straightfor-
against." Clifton and the possibility of drastically improved their out when Dunn was ready ward game that thrives off
Chara did not go to the Steven Kampfer seeing his puck movement. to return but has two goals punishes opponents.
arena at all Wednesday, 36 first action since Game 1 of "He's a dynamic player," in the past two rounds de- "We have to keep pound-
hours after taking a puck to the East final. And the Bru- coach Craig Berube said. spite not being much of a ing them," forward Patrick
the jaw in Boston's Game 4 ins' entire approach would "He can make something scorer. Maroon said. "We just got
loss that tied the series at change. out of nothing a lot of times. Cassidy and Berube have keep doing the same thing.
two games apiece. Coach "You lose a little bit of your He's very good at that. He's been matching wits all se- Our team's not flashy at all.
Bruce Cassidy didn't talk to team defense, well, maybe elusive and even coming ries with roster decisions. It's north/south. Dumping it
and only briefly texted with you've got to create more out of our own end, you From this point on, the right in. Wearing teams down.
the 42-year-old defense- offense to balance that feel like there are times and wrong calls could de- "When we don't do that,
man, who has a facial in- out," Cassidy said. "You when the puck is going to termine the Cup cham- their defense is effective
jury that has been reported got a guy that kills penal- get stopped up and he'll pion, and the Bruins have in moving up in the play.
to be a broken jaw. ties well, maybe stay a little do something and make faith in Cassidy to push the Odd-man rushes. The D can
Just like the Sharks series in more disciplined. Down the a move and a quick play right buttons and compen- jump higher. When we're
the Western Conference line of how can you make with the puck that breaks sate for injuries. doing well, we're limiting
final, the Blues insist their up for what he brings with- a guy out and it's a great "He kind of knows how to their time and space. We're
game plan doesn't change out one guy going in there." play that we're going up get guys going," center Pa- wearing them down."q

USOC seeks to keep pregnant athletes from losing insurance

DENVER (AP) — The U.S. program, saying the dis- responsible for determin- D-Massachusetts, and U.S. sprinter Alysia Mon-
Olympic Committee says continuation of coverage ing which athletes receive Tammy Baldwin, D-Wiscon- tano wrote in an edito-
it is working on reforms to when an athlete becomes coverage and under what sin — the USOC put out a rial piece last month in the
prevent athletes from los- pregnant is "unconscio- conditions. The pool of ath- statement saying "Preg- New York Times that she
ing health insurance cov- nable and may put at risk letes eligible for insurance nancy or needing a break and distance runner Kara
erage when they become her health and that of her is limited mainly to Olympic from competition for other Goucher lost their health
pregnant. child." hopefuls and other top-line important reasons can't insurance while pregnant
Three senators wrote to The USOC provides fund- elite prospects. unfairly impact eligibility, because they were unable
USOC CEO Sarah Hirshland ing for insurance to the In response to the request and we are working to en- to compete. The senators
on Wednesday, asking her national governing bodies from the senators — Rich- sure that policy is uniform requested a briefing from
to provide details about (NGBs) that run individual ard Blumenthal, D-Con- across each NGB's eligibil- the USOC next Friday to
the federation's insurance sports, and those NGBs are necticut, Edward Markey, ity standards." discuss the issue.q