Blues one win away from Stanley Cup crown after victory over Bruins

The St Louis Blues are one victory away from their first Stanley Cup triumph after beating the Bruins 2-1 in Boston on Thursday in game five of the NHL’s best-of-seven championship series.

The Blues, back in the Stanley Cup final for the first time since they were swept by the Bruins in 1970, lead the series 3-2.

They can lift the Stanley Cup with a victory in St. Louis on Sunday -- when the Bruins will try to force a game seven back in Boston.

“It’s exciting for us, obviously,” St Louis defenseman Colton Parayko said. “It’s huge for our group. We’ve had quite the season so far. We’ve been through quite a lot, but we continue to battle.

“We never gave up on each other. It put us closer together, especially now at this point.”

Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington stopped 38 of 39 shots and tied the NHL record for most wins by a rookie goalie in a single playoffs with his 15th.

In front of their home fans and coming off a game-four defeat, the Bruins were also boosted by the return of captain Zdeno Chara -- who took a puck to the face in game four and didn’t finish the game.

They came out firing, but Binnington was up to the challenge.

“It starts with (Binnington),” said Ryan O’Reilly, who scored for St Louis along with David Perron. “Obviously he played outstanding tonight to keep us in there in that first (period).

O’Reilly’s third goal in two games put the Blues up 1-0 55 seconds into the second period and he assisted Perron’s goal with 9:24 remaining in the third that made it 2-0.

Boston protested Perron’s goal and fans were enraged after the play began with Tyler Bozak gaining control of the puck by taking the legs out from under the Blues’ Noel Acciari.

With Acciari down on the ice, Perron banked in the insurance goal off of Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask, and Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy called the non-call of a tripping foul “egregious”.

“It’s right in front of the officials, it’s a slew foot,” Cassidy said.

“Our guy is gone -- it took him out of the game for possible concussion, big effect on the game.”

Nevertheless the Bruins pulled within 2-1 with 6:28 remaining when Jake DeBrusk scored on a slapshot.

Agence France-Presse