BOSTON -- For 21 minutes of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, the St. Louis Blues looked like the composed, confident team that won the Western Conference. They took a 2-0 lead by forcing turnovers with their punishing forechecks, while rookie goalie Jordan Binnington turned every Boston Bruins chance aside.
But from the moment Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton scored at 2:16 of the second period through Boston's celebration of their 4-2 victory, the Blues weren't the Blues. They were sloppy. They were undisciplined. And, in a rarity over their last several postseason games, they were overmatched.