Bruins Avoid Elimination With 5-1 Win, Set Date For Game 7 In Stanley Cup Final
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Boston Bruins are still alive. Now, the hockey world prepares for the ultimate sporting moment: Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Facing elimination on Sunday night in St. Louis, the Bruins took a 1-0 lead in the first period, held it through the second period, and turned it into a 3-0 lead by the midway point of the third period en route to a 5-1 victory in Game 6 of the Cup Final.
The city of St. Louis, geared up for a Stanley Cup celebration 51 years in the making, will have to keep the champagne on ice for a few more days.
Tuukka Rask made 28 saves for Boston. Jordan Binnington stopped 27 shots.
The Bruins took an early lead, when Brad Marchand ripped a one-time feed from David Pastrnak on a 5-on-3 power play 8:40 into the first period.
That power play began with another questionable hit from a St. Louis Blues player, this one a boarding penalty by Brayden Schenn on Joakim Nordstrom.
That power play turned into a two-man advantage when Ryan O'Reilly flipped a puck over the glass. The Bruins scored 21 seconds later.
The 1-0 lead held through the second period, as Rask stopped 10 St. Louis shots in the second. That included a moment when Rask got some help from a post and defenseman Charlie McAvoy:
The Bruins doubled their lead in the opening minutes of the third period, when a weak point shot by Brandon Carlo took a funny bounce and found a hole in Binnington.
Karson Kuhlman made it a 3-0 lead when he sniped the top corner halfway through the final period.
Kuhlman was in the lineup for the first time since Game 3 against Columbus, in place of David Backes.
After Ryan O'Reilly barely beat Rask ...
... David Pastrnak once again made it a three-goal lead for Boston.
Zdeno Chara scored an empty-netter to make it 5-1 with 2:19 left to play.
Game 7 will be played Wednesday night in Boston.
