Boston got the win Saturday, but of course, the Blues still have the Cup.
Getting goals by David Pastrnak, Anders Bjork, and an empty-netter by Brandon Carlo, the Boston Bruins won this rematch of Stanley Cup finalists, 3-0, Saturday at TD Garden in Boston.
Tuukka Rask stopped all 26 shots on goal by the Blues, who were shut out for the first time since March 14 of last season in Ottawa, 2-0. It was the 47th career shutout for Rask.
Despite the final score, it was an evenly-played game. But the first goal, a power-play tally by Pastrnak, came on a goal that goalie Jordan Binnington would like to have back.
The second goal, Bjork's, came on one of the game's few odd-man rushes, with two Blues hitting the same Boston players, and then Colton Parayko getting caught in the neutral zone playing too aggressively.
Missing Vladimir Tarasenko, who didn't make this trip because of an upper-body injury, the Blues got only 13 shots on goal by the forwards.
The Blues (5-3-3) headed to Detroit after the game for their first back-to-back of the season.
In a tight-checking game featuring two of the NHL's top defenses, Boston took advantage of a rare odd-man rush to take a 2-0 lead in the second period.
Bjork scored only the sixth goal of his NHL career, and his first of the season on a one-timer from the right faceoff circle to cap the 3-on-2 break with 10:29 to play in the second.
The Blues weren't without their chances in the period, particularly on a power play just 11 seconds after the Bjork goal when Torey Krug was sent off for hooking.
The Blues had three shots on goal during the power play, including two by Ryan O'Reilly, and spent a lot of time in front of the Boston net. But they couldn't beat Rask and the Bruins took a 2-0 lead into the final period.
It didn't take long for last season's Stanley Cup finalists to, uh, renew acquaintances. All of 38 seconds in Saturday's Cup rematch, Boston's 6-foot-9, 250-pound defensman _ Zdeno Chara _ flattened Oskar Sundqvist along the boards.
Brayden Schenn came to Sundqvist's defense and both Chara and Schenn ended up with minors for roughing. Late in the period, David Perron and Krug were both sent off at the same time with minors, leading to another two minutes of 4-on-4 play.
But on the next penalty, the first time either team had a man advantage, Pastrnak made the Blues pay. With Perron off for holding, a Pastrnak one-timer from the left faceoff circle trickled past goalie Binnington nearside, giving Boston a 1-0 lead with 5:01 left in the opening period.
It was Pastrnak's league-leading 11th goal of the season, and his sixth power play goal, extending his point streak to eight games.
The Blues' best chance came seven minutes into the game, when Rask stopped a breakaway shot from the slot by Sundqvist.
