Jordan Binnington on Winning the Title in Boston: “It Had to be This Way”

It simply had to be like this. The Blues had to see Game 7 and to win away from home. Their entire campaign was all about taking a hard way.

Craig Berube’s boys brought the first Stanley Cup title in St. Louis and wrote their names in eternity by defeating the Boston Bruins last night. The final result at TD Garden was 4-1 for the guests from Missouri.

“It had to be this way, man,” Jordan Binnington said. “It was an incredible year, and I can’t believe where we’re at. It’s awesome.”

The rookie goalie was probably the most important factor in Blues’ rise towards the top. Binnington’s reactions and dedication often saved the team. But not only that, it boosted the morale of other players who were catching positive waves off of his performances.

“Binnington’s a beast,” said Brayden Schenn after the game.

The 25-year old goalie had 32 saves, and was the biggest obstacle for the Bruins last night. In the opening period, Binnington had 12 saves, while his team had only four shots on goals, and managed to score twice. This can tell you a lot about the situation on the ice, and who had the initiative in those moments. If it weren’t for Binnington, the Blues would definitely have problems.

After all the saves he posted, luck was on St. Louis side, with Ryan O’Reilly and Alex Pietrangelo netting in the late part of the period. O’Reilly beat Tuukka Rask with 3:13 left, while Pietrangelo did that 8 seconds before the end.

It was a shock the hosts couldn’t get over.

“We knew it was there, we knew we had the pieces,” said O’Reilly who became the first player after Wayne Gretzky to score in four consecutive Stanley Cup finals matches.

A little bit after the midpoint of the final period, Brayden Schenn raised the result to 3-0 for the guests, and Zach Stanford nailed another one with 4:38 left in that sequence.

Matt Grzelcyk was the sole scorer for the Bruins, with a little bit more than two minutes until the end of the game.

The fantastic Blues had one of the best ever road records in the playoffs. They ended this campaign with 10 wins and 3 losses, recording three triumphs at the TD Garden in the finals. St. Louis became only the seventh team in history with such an achievement.

Their win comes as one of the greatest surprises in the NHL. After suffering devastating results in the first part of the season, the management decided to fire Mike Yeo and hire Craig Berube to be the interim manager. One of the toughest players in the history of hockey brought some fighting spirit among the lethargic crew, which was sitting at the bottom of the league around the New Year.

Suddenly, the Blues were demolishing everything which stood in their way, playing one of the most attractive hockey in the league. What was especially noticeable was the ability of the crew to post wins on the road, which eventually became their biggest weapon.

Take a bow, Jordan Binnington. pic.twitter.com/RnS41k4Kzk

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 13, 2019

Following a furious finish, they clashed with Winnipeg Jets in the opening round of the playoffs and eliminated the Canadians in 6 games. After that, they had a thriller in seven against the Dallas Stars, before making a massive surprise by trashing San Jose Sharks with 4-2.

When they eliminated one of the biggest favorites for the Stanley Cup trophy, their appetites grew bigger.

Eventually, these guys did what many believed to be impossible, and that is to become a champion.

The city of Saint Louis is preparing a big parade, and the players are anxious to see it and celebrate with their fans, who are currently living one of their finest hours.

Up next, is the offseason, which will be full of excitement. We will be here to report with all the interesting news.