2019 Stanley Cup Finals – Seher Elhayat

The 2019 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) 2018–19 season and also the culmination of this 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Western Conference champion St. Louis Blues defeated the Eastern Conference champion Boston Bruins four games to three to win their first championship, in their 51st period of drama (not including the 2004–05 lockout), ending the next longest championship drought in league history. The Bruins had home-ice benefit within this best-of-seven playoff series with the better regular season record. The series began on May 27 and concluded on June 12. [1] Their Stanley Cup–winning streak of 26 playoff games tied the 2014 Los Angeles Kings to the longest of any Stanley Cup–winning group in history.
This is a rematch of the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals, which Boston won in four, the fourth successive Finals to both involve a minumum of one team vying for its first championship and end with the winner clinching the Cup on the road, and the first time because 2011 where the Finals went the full seven games.
Until this year, the Blues were the franchise to have never won a Stanley Cup. That distinction is now shared with the Buffalo Sabres and the Vancouver Canucks, as both groups were set in 1970 and are without a Stanley Cup for their title. St. Louis also became the last surviving 1967 NHL expansion team to win their first Stanley Cup, joining the Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars (initially the Minnesota North Stars) and Pittsburgh Penguins.Boston Bruins
Main article: 2018–19 Boston Bruins season This was the Boston Bruins’ 20th appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals, six years later 2013, when they faced the Chicago Blackhawks and were defeated in six matches. The Bruins last won the Stanley Cup in 2011, their sixth Cup in franchise history. [2]
Brad Marchand became the first Bruin because the 2005–06 season to score 100 points, completing the regular season with 100 points in 79 games. David Pastrnak directed the team in goals with 38. Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak split the goaltending duties during the normal season. [3] Halak had signed with the team during the off-season,[4] and coming the trade deadline that the Bruins acquired forwards Charlie Coyle and Marcus Johansson. [5]
Boston finished the regular season with 107 points, finishing in 2nd place in the Atlantic Division and third overall in the league. [6] In the First Round of the playoffs, they defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games for the second successive playoff meeting against the Maple Leafs and third since the 2012–13 season. [7] Then they defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4–two at the Second Round. The Carolina Hurricanes 4 — 0 Boston swept. [9]
St. Louis Blues
Main article: 2018–19 St. Louis Blues year This was the St. Louis Blues’ fourth appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. Their last appearance in the Finals was in 1970 from the Bruins, which Boston won at a four-game sweep. All St. Louis’ previous looks came during their first 3 seasons after the Blues and five additional new teams made the West Division at the 1967 NHL expansion. While the Blues could advance beyond their fellow expansion franchises, each Finals appearance ended with them being spanned by First Six groups that included the East Division, concluding with their 1970 defeat. In the years that followed, the other growth teams from 1967 would win Stanley Cup titles of their own (excluding the defunct California Golden Seals franchise), but the Blues went almost half a century without realizing the Finals again and became the oldest franchise to not win the Stanley Cup. [10]
Ryan O’Reilly, who was obtained through trade in the off-season[11] led the team in scoring with 77 points and assists with 49. Vladimir Tarasenko directed the group from goal-scoring with 33 goals. [12]
St. Louis struggled early in the regular season, beginning the year with a 7–9–3 album. Head coach Mike Yeo was fired and assistant coach Craig Berube named interim coach. [13] Their listing declined to a NHL-worst 15–18–4 album with 34 points on January 2, 2019. Then the Blues went on a 30–10–5 run to finish the year with 99 points, third in the Central Division. [14] Amid their turnaround, rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington was given his first start and moved on to obtain 23 wins. [15] From the playoffs, St. Louis defeated the Winnipeg Jets 4–two in the First Round, removed the Dallas Stars in seven matches, and won 4–2 against the San Jose Sharks in the Conference Finals