Carl Gunnarsson Gives Blues 1st Stanley Cup Final Win in Game 2 vs. Bruins

The St. Louis Blues won a Stanley Cup Final game Wednesday for the first time in franchise history.

St. Louis defeated the Boston Bruins 3-2 in overtime in Game 2 at TD Garden and evened the 2019 Stanley Cup Final at one game apiece. The Blues also seized home-ice advantage after blowing a 2-0 lead in the opening contest.

Carl Gunnarsson scored the game-winning goal in the extra period, while Robert Bortuzzo and Vladimir Tarasenko each found the back of the net for the victors in the first period. Goaltender Jordan Binnington saved 21 of the 23 shots he faced, keeping his team in contention until Gunnarsson delivered.

Charlie Coyle and Joakim Nordstrom were the only ones to beat Binnington for Boston, but each of their goals came in the first period before the Bruins went quiet on the offensive end.

St. Louis didn't only win its first Stanley Cup Final game, it provided a change of pace in a matchup that is historically one-sided in the postseason:

Gunnarsson played the role of hero with the winning goal, but it was the goaltender matchup between a playoff-tested veteran and a promising rookie that stood out for much of the game.

Tuukka Rask saved 34 of the 37 shots he faced in his 84th career postseason start, continuing a brilliant playoff performance. The 2013-14 Vezina Trophy winner entered the contest with a 1.85 goals against average in this postseason and hadn't allowed more than two goals since a Game 5 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets in the second round.

His counterpart has been nearly as effective, sporting a .915 save percentage through his first 20 playoff games after saving the Blues' regular season from a lackluster start with a 1.89 goals against average.

Binnington is already a St. Louis hero after allowing a combined two goals in the final three games of the Western Conference Final victory over the San Jose Sharks, and he added to his legacy with his showing Wednesday.

Despite the dueling performances, Rask and Binnington would like to forget the first period, which included all four regulation goals.

Boston struck first on the power play when Jake DeBrusk unleashed a perfectly placed pass from the corner to Coyle, who was waiting in the slot to put it right past Binnington. However, the Blues wasted little time responding when Bortuzzo elevated a wrist shot that deflected off a Bruins defender and over Rask—who could do nothing after the puck changed direction.

The game was tied for less than a minute, though, as Nordstrom found himself wide open in front of the net and went backhand through the five-hole after a costly St. Louis turnover in the defensive zone.

It wasn't the only defensive mistake that led to a goal in the period.

The Blues pulled even on a two-on-one break after Brad Marchand committed to one side too quickly and took himself out of the play. Tarasenko found the back of the net on a second effort after an excellent save by Rask, extending his point streak to eight games.

That was it for the regulation scoring, thanks in large part to Rask's individual effort as the team in front of him struggled to gain control or momentum.

The Blues finished with a 37-23 advantage in shots on goal, exploiting a Boston defense that was missing Matt Grzelcyk after he left following a hard hit from Oskar Sundqvist. Still, they failed to convert multiple power-play opportunities and just missed a dramatic late winner when Gunnarsson rang the post with a shot in the final two minutes of the third period.

St. Louis' best chance to pull ahead came in the second period when Connor Clifton went to the penalty box with a four-minute high stick.

However, Nordstrom dialed up the defensive effort with continuous blocked shots—including a slap shot during the extended power play—and set the tone for his penalty-kill unit. The Blues didn't even make it three minutes into the penalty before they lost the man advantage with a goaltender interference call.

Even with the missed chances, it felt like a matter of time before St. Louis would break through after dictating the pace.

Gunnarsson was the one to do it, firing a slap shot over the otherwise impressive Rask to even the series.

What's Next?

The series shifts to St. Louis for Saturday's Game 3 and Monday's Game 4.