Around the NHL: Bruins Roll to Win, Game 7 Wednesday Night

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 

The Boston Bruins were in the same spot in 2011. Down 3-2 in the series, the Bruins made easy work of the Vancouver Canucks that night in a 5-2 win, scoring four goals in the first 10 minutes of the game.

The Bruins needed much longer than that to reach four goals, but when they did, it sealed the fate of this season's Stanley Cup Final. It will require seven games this year to decide a champion, the first time since 2011 that the Stanley Cup Final has gone the distance, after the Bruins defeated the St. Louis Blues, 5-1, in Game 6 on Sunday night.

The Blues got the first opportunity of the game with a power play just 2:42 into the game for a delay of game minor, but failed to capitalize. The Bruins potent power play got a chance a few minutes later and made sure not to waste it.

Brayden Schenn took a boarding penalty and Ryan O'Reilly took a delay of game penalty 62 seconds apart. Just 21 seconds into the 5-on-3, the Bruins scored with Brad Marchand firing a one-timer past Jordan Binnington.

The Bruins outshot the Blues, 12-9, in the first period, but chances were fairly even.

The second featured more pressure from the Blues as Tuukka Rask kept the door shut and the margin at one. Through two periods, shots were 20-19 Bruins. The Blues also had an additional power play at the end of the first and two more in the second period, each one killed off by Boston.

Early in the third, the Bruins extended the lead with the help of a bounce. Brandon Carlo's point shot was lobbed toward the goal, skipped off the ice and leaked through Binnington to make it 2-0 Boston at 2:31 of the period.

Just past the halfway point of the period, Karson Kuhlman lasered a shot over Binnington to make it 3-0, as Boston capitalized on a St. Louis turnover. 

Less than two minutes later, the Blues got some life. A shot by O'Reilly appeared to be stopped by Rask, but replay showed that Rask's pad was over the goal line and the puck had crossed, getting the Blues on the board with 7:59 to play.

The Blues couldn't take advantage of the momentum and the Bruins iced the game with a great play by their top line. Marchand set up David Pastrnak, who got Binnington down and out and roofed his shot to make it 4-1 with 5:54 to play.

Zdeno Chara added an empty-net goal with 2:19 left to cap the scoring in the 5-1 win.

Rask made 28 saves in the win. Binnington made 27 saves in the loss.

In the closing moments of the game, some altercations after the whistles set the tone for Game 7. Sammy Blais took a slashing penalty and a roughing penalty going at it with Connor Clifton with 22 seconds remaining. Robert Bortuzzo took out his frustrations on Noel Acciari with a cross-checking penalty five seconds later.

The Bruins were 1-for-2 on the power play. The Blues were 0-for-4.

So that sets the stage for Game 7 on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. from Boston. The hockey season will come to an end and a champion will be crowned. Will it be the end of the miracle run and a first for the St. Louis Blues, or will it be a third title for Boston sports in the last calendar year?