There was blood in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final. And a possible head injury. And plenty of fresh bumps and bruises.
The best-of-seven series between the Boston Bruins and the St Louis Blues has turned decidedly nasty, and it only took two games. If that.
Connor Clifton bloodied the Blues’ Tyler Bozak with a high stick, Oskar Sundqvist knocked the Bruins’ Matt Grzelcyk out of the game by ramming him into the glass and Robert Bortuzzo slashed Boston’s Jake DeBrusk between padding on his left arm before a face-off, leaving him doubled over in pain.
Photo: AP
Former Blues captain David Backes crushed Sammy Blais with an open-ice hit just two nights after helmet-less Torey Krug skated down the ice and leveled the Blues’ Robert Thomas with a body check. Thomas has not played since.
The NHL has consistently emphasized skill and speed of late, but sometimes you can steamroll your way to a playoff victory, which the Blues did 3-2 in overtime Wednesday night to tie the series at a game apiece.
The league still sells hatred, and it did not take long for that to build up between these heavy-hitting teams.
“They’re aggressive, they’re big, they hit well and we’re a big team and we hit, so there’s going to be a lot of chirping, a lot of hitting going, a lot of scrums,” St Louis forward Patrick Maroon said.
At the moment, it is advantage St Louis. The Blues outhustled the Bruins and delivered more blows in grabbing home-ice advantage with Game 3 coming up tomorrow night in St Louis, Missouri.
“I think we’ve been doing that all playoffs, no? It’s just our style,” Sundqvist said.
“That’s how we play and when we do it, we’re good, we’re winning pucks back and we’re creating offense. That’s part of our game,” he added.
Knowing that, Backes said that the Bruins want to “match physicality, stare them in the eyes and go right through it when they’re trying to amp that up and have an answer at times when we have the opportunity to be physical on their guys.”
St Louis were credited with 49 hits in a game filled with aches and pains.
Sundqvist’s hit on Grzelcyk drew a boarding penalty and the Boston defenseman needed help to get off the ice.
Blais and Jaden Schwartz also each ran into goaltender Tuukka Rask and both were whistled for interference.
“We can’t let them push us around,” Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo said.
“We can’t retaliate after the whistle. They were right on top of us,” he said.
“We kind of felt like whenever we turned around to move up the ice, they were right there, doing a good job with their sticks and playing a little bit more physical than we were,” he added.
However, the Bruins were not shrinking violets. Featuring a blue line with four players 1.83m-tall or shorter, Charlie McAvoy was throwing the body like someone not afraid to hit above his weight class.
The hits continued to take their toll.
St Louis were already without Thomas and defenseman Vince Dunn, and top-line winger Vladimir Tarasenko missed a big chunk of the second period.
Bozak went down the tunnel to close the stick-induced cut on his face, but returned not long after. He was no worse for the wear — just part of the cost of doing business.
The same could not be said for Grzelcyk, who went to a hospital for tests.
Boston, down to five defenseman, appeared to tire late.
“It’s a long series,” Blues defenseman Colton Paryko said.
“Obviously they went down a D-man, and when you have five D-men and you continue to press and press and press, it’s hard for the D-men,” he said. “I thought we did a good job of continuing to do that.”
The Pittsburgh Penguins and the Chicago Blackhawks sped their way to the Stanley Cup in recent years. The Blues are looking to follow in the heavy tracks of past champions like the Los Angeles Kings and the Washington Capitals, who pounded their opponents on the way to the title.
After earning the first playoff victory in franchise history by turning the Bruins black and blue, the Blues found a recipe that could lead to the first championship.
“We’ve just got to continue hitting,” Maroon said. “That’s our team.”
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely