The St. Louis Blues visited the Boston Bruins for a crucial Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on June 6, 2019. Both teams went 1-1 in their two home games to start the series, setting up a best-of-three the rest of the way.
The Bruins and Blues had alternated wins up until Game 5. Boston won Games 1 and 3 while St. Louis took Game 2 in overtime and Game 4.
The stage was set and the lights were bright in Boston for an all-important Game 5.
The intensity was felt from puck drop as the teams went scoreless through the first period. Boston tried its best to open the scoring though, with the Bruins outshooting the. Blues 17-8 in the opening frame.
That type of shot advantage continued for Boston throughout the game with the Bruins outshooting the Blues 8-6 in the middle period and 14-7 in the final frame.
But it was eventual Conn Smythe Trophy winner Ryan O'Reilly who opened the scoring 55 seconds into the second period. It was his third goal in a two-game span for the St. Louis center.
That score held until the third period, when David Perron scored on an assist from O'Reilly to make it a 2-0 game. Of course, however, this was the controversial goal scored just after Tyler Bozak got away with an apparent tripping penalty on Noel Acciari.
"It had a big effect on the game," Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said.
"Tough pill to swallow, but the game goes on and you've just got to say, 'Next; next shift,'" Acciari said. "We battled hard. We battled back. Jake with the big goal. We came up a little short. Again, Game 6, win or go home."
It didn't help that the Bruins thought they had a David Pastrnak game-tying goal minutes earlier, but the puck did not cross the line.
The Bruins did get on the board less than three minutes later with Jake DeBrusk beating Jordan Binnington, but the damage was done. The Blues held on for a 2-1 victory.