Last Minute Snag Almost Results In CFL Players Going On Strike

Labour peace between the CFL and its players’ association held together after reports that a tentative collective bargaining agreement between the two sides had fallen apart with some players taking to Twitter to say the strike was on again.

There were several reports saying  the two sides had to have a conference call to iron out a misunderstanding in the memorandum of agreement that had been agreed to on Wednesday.

Statements by the CFLPA and the CFL issued late Saturday confirmed that there had been a discrepancy between the two sides but that it had been worked out.

“The language in the (memorandum of agreement) is now agreed upon and is exactly what we communicated to you earlier,” said the CFLPA’s statement to the players. “We are now prepared to sign and move forward with our unanimous endorsement for the tentative collective agreement.”

CFL training camps are set to open on Sunday.

Stanley Cup Playoffs May 18th Morning Skate

THREE HARD LAPS: QUICK HITS FROM FRIDAY

 * Jordan Binnington recorded 29 saves to help the Blues even the series and become the first goaltender in franchise history, and 10th rookie in NHL history, to record 10 wins in a single postseason.

* St. Louis improved to 10-7 in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs to match the franchise record for wins in a single postseason (also 1986 and 2016).

* The NHL announced the Stanley Cup Final will open with Game 1 on Monday, May 27 in Boston.


BINNINGTON, BLUES REBOUND TO EVEN WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL

Ivan Barbashev opened the scoring just 35 seconds into the contest as the Blues jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, while Jordan Binnington turned aside 29 of 30 shots to earn his 10th win of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. St. Louis, which evened the Western Conference Final at two games apiece, tied a franchise record for wins in a single postseason (10), first accomplished in 1986 and matched in 2016.

When the Conference Finals/Semifinals are tied 2-2, the winner of Game 5 owns an all-time series record of 19-8 (70.3%).

* After establishing a single-season franchise record for wins by a rookie goaltender in the regular season (24-5-1), Binnington became the first netminder in Blues franchise history to win 10 contests in a single postseason and just the 10th rookie netminder in NHL history to accomplish the feat.

* Binnington improved to 5-2 in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs in games following a loss, a trend he started in the regular season when he compiled a 6-0 record under the same scenario. Overall, Binnington improved to 10-7 this postseason with a 2.58 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage.

 * No stranger to big moments, Binnington captured the OHL championship with the Owen Sound Attack in 2010-11 and was later named the Most Outstanding Goaltender at the Memorial Cup - weeks before the Blues selected him in the third round (87th overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft.

* Barbashev became the second Blues player to score in the opening minute of a game this postseason, joining Jaden Schwartz, who tallied 23 seconds into Game 6 of their First Round series against Winnipeg. Teams that score in the opening minute of a game in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs own a 5-2 record in those contests.

* The Western Conference Final will resume on Sunday afternoon with Game 5 at SAP Center in San Jose.

STANLEY CUP FINAL TO BEGIN MAY 27 IN BOSTON

The NHL announced the dates, starting times and television information for the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, which will begin on Monday, May 27, at TD Garden in Boston 

(NHL Media) 

May 17th Stanley Cup Playoffs Morning Skate

THREE HARD LAPS: QUICK HITS FROM THURSDAY

 * “Perfection Line” of Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand combined for all four goals as the Bruins swept the Hurricanes to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.

* Tuukka Rask blanked Carolina to record his second clinching shutout in as many series and the third of his NHL career overall.

* The Sharks and Blues face off in a pivotal Game 4 at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.

 BRUINS SWEEP HURRICANES, ADVANCE TO STANLEY CUP FINAL

Tuukka Rask made 24 saves and the line of Patrice Bergeron (2-1—3), David Pastrnak (1-2—3) and Brad Marchand (1-1—2) combined for 4-4—8 as Boston swept Carolina to advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the 20th time in franchise history and third in the last eight years (2011 and 2013).

* The Bruins became the fourth franchise in NHL history to reach the Stanley Cup Final 20 or more times, joining the Canadiens (32), Red Wings (24) and Maple Leafs (21). Ten of Boston’s 20 all-time Stanley Cup Final appearances have occurred in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68), the second-most in that span behind only Montreal (11).

* Boston swept a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Playoffs series for the 15th time in franchise history and sixth time in the Conference Finals/Semifinals (also 1970 vs. CHI, 1972 vs. STL, 1977 vs. PHI, 1990 vs. WSH and 2013 vs. PIT). The four-game triumph over the Penguins in the 2013 Conference Finals was also their last sweep overall.

* The Bruins advanced to the Stanley Cup Final with a 7-0 record in their last seven games, marking the third-longest single-postseason win streak in franchise history behind runs of 10-0 in 1970 and 9-0 in 1972.

* Boston will face either San Jose or St. Louis in the Stanley Cup Final, with the former owning a 2-1 series lead in the Western Conference Final. The Bruins are 2-0 in two all-time head to-head postseason meetings with the Blues, earning four-game sweeps in the 1970 Stanley Cup Final and 1972 Semifinals; Boston has never faced San Jose in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

 * Despite missing his first postseason game since 2011, Bruins captain Zdeno Chara suited up to hit the ice with his teammates for the presentation of the Prince of Wales Trophy. 

RASK RECORDS SECOND CLINCHING SHUTOUT IN AS MANY SERIES

Tuukka Rask recorded his third career series-clinching shutout and second of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs (also Game 4 of 2013 CF and Game 6 of 2019 R2). He established a franchise record for most series-clinching shutouts, eclipsing the mark for two set by Gerry Cheevers (Game 6 of 1972 SCF, Game 4 of 1977 SF) and matched by Tim Thomas (Game 7 of 2011 CF, Game 7 of 2011 SCF).

* Rask became the third goaltender in NHL history to record multiple series-clinching shutouts in the Conference Finals/Semifinals, joining Jacques Plante (3) and Glenn Hall (2). Rask improved to 8-0 in eight career appearances in the Conference Finals (also 4-0 in 2013); he became the seventh different goaltender in League history to earn wins in eight or more consecutive appearances in the Conference Finals/Semifinals.

* Rask extended his personal win streak to seven games, the second-longest by a Bruins goaltender in a playoff year behind only a 10-0 run by Cheevers in 1970. Overall, Rask improved to 12-5 in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs (1.84 GAA, .942 SV%, 2 SO), including a 6-2 mark on the road (1.64 GAA, .952 SV%, 2 SO).

 * Rask recorded his seventh career shutout in the Stanley Cup Playoffs overall and passed Miikka Kiprusoff (6) for the most in NHL history by a Finnish-born goaltender.

LINE OF BERGERON, PASTRNAK AND MARCHAND COMBINE FOR ALL FOUR GOALS

* Patrice Bergeron scored his League-leading sixth power-play goal of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the second-most in a postseason by a Bruins player behind only Cam Neely in 1991 (9) – who shares the NHL record for most in playoff year (w/ Mike Bossy in 1981). Boston leads the League with 17 power-play goals in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the fourth-highest total in a postseason in franchise history.

* Bergeron scored his 38th and 39th career goals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (39-60—99 in 129 GP) to leapfrog Peter McNab (38-36—74 in 79 GP) for sole possession of fifth place on the franchise’s all-time list. Bergeron moved within one point of becoming the sixth player in Bruins history to collect 100 career postseason points – a milestone teammate David Krejci (36-65—101 in 125 GP) reached in Game 3.

* David Pastrnak scored his 15th career goal in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (15-24—39 in 35 GP), the second-most by a Bruins player before turning 23 behind only Barry Pederson (21-29—50 in 28 GP). Pastrnak has scored 147 career NHL goals (regular season and playoffs combined), the highest such total by a Bruins player before celebrating their 23rd birthday – six more than Pederson (141).

 * The line of Bergeron (8-5—13 in 17 GP), Pastrnak (7-8—15 in 17 GP) and Brad Marchand (7-11—18 in 17 GP) have combined for over a third of the Bruins’ goals in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs (22 of 57; 38.6%), including six game winners.

SHARKS, BLUES SET FOR PIVOTAL GAME 4 IN ST. LOUIS

After Erik Karlsson’s overtime winner gave San Jose a 2-1 series lead in the Western Conference Final on Wednesday, the Sharks and Blues will face off in a pivotal Game 4 at Enterprise Center in St. Louis on Friday. There have been 36 one-goal games in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, eight more than all of 2018 (28).

* The Sharks hold a 2-1 lead in a best-of-seven series for the 16th time in franchise history and own an all-time series record of 11-4 in the 15 previous instances. San Jose is up 2-1 in the Conference Finals for the second time in franchise history – they also held a 2-1 advantage against St. Louis in the 2016 Western Conference Final before advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time.

 * San Jose has been led offensively by Logan Couture, who has found the back of the net in each game of the Western Conference Final while also pacing the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs in goals and points (14-6—20 in 17 GP). The 30-year-old forward sits one goal shy of matching Sidney Crosby (15 in 2009) and Alex Ovechkin (15 in 2018) for the highest goal total in a single postseason over the last 22 years. He also sits within five of the NHL record for most goals in a playoff year, set by Philadelphia’s Reggie Leach in 1976 (19-5—24 in 16 GP) and matched by Edmonton’s Jari Kurri in 1985 (19-12—31 in 18 GP).

* In his second career appearance in the Conference Finals, Karlsson (2-13—15 in 17 GP) scored his first two goals of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs in Game 3, including the overtime winner. During Ottawa’s run to the Conference Finals in 2017, the two-time Norris Trophy winner collected 2-16—18 in 19 postseason games and 0-5—5 in the Eastern Conference Final before his club bowed out to the Penguins in seven contests.

 * Karlsson is tied with teammate Brent Burns (5-10—15 in 17 GP) for the most points among defensemen in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. It marks the first time in 20 years that a pair of defensemen on the same team both reached the 15-point mark in a postseason; the last instance occurred in 1999, when Sabres blueliners Jason Woolley (4-11—15 in 21 GP) and Alexei Zhitnik (4-11—15 in 21 GP) did so.

 * A pair of Blues players can establish franchise records in Game 4. Goaltender Jordan Binnington (9-7) sits one win shy of setting the Blues record in a single postseason, while captain Alex Pietrangelo (2-10—12 in 16 GP) needs one point for the most in a playoff year by a St. Louis defenseman.

 * Like Karlsson, David Perron also scored twice in Game 3 and is tied for fourth on the club with 5-5—10 in 16 games this postseason. He is making his second consecutive appearance in the Western Conference Final after posting 1-8—9 in 15 games during the Golden Knights’ historic run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018.

Who To Watch At Memorial Cup

Not sure who to watch during the Memorial Cup? Here’s a cheat sheet on 10 key players.

1. Nick Suzuki, C, Guelph Storm: Suzuki arrived in Guelph after a major mid-season trade with the Owen Sound Attack. He had 49 points in 29 games down the stretch in the regular season and then won the playoff scoring race with 42 points in 24 games. He finished 11 points ahead of Sasha Chmelevski of the Ottawa 67’s. The OHL’s playoff MVP was drafted 13th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017 but was traded to the Montreal Canadiens last year with Tomas Tatar and a second-round pick for Max Pacioretty. Suzuki was the OHL’s most sportsmanlike player in back-to-back years and also won the CHL award in 2016-17. He only has 44 penalty minutes in 251 regular season OHL games.

2. Joel Teasdale, LW, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies: Like Suzuki, Teasdale is Habs property and was the top playoff scorer in his league (20 GP, 34 points). Unlike Suzuki, Teasdale’s bread and butter is his physical play. At six feet, 203 pounds, he plays a heavy game and is a devastating forechecker. He was also a mid-season acquisition and had 42 points in 29 regular season games after coming over from the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. Teasdale led the QMJHL in playoff shots with 102.

3. Ian Scott, G, Prince Albert Raiders: The Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick (fourth round, 2017) led the WHL in goals against average (1.96) and save percentage (.925) in the playoffs to earn league MVP honours. But as amazing as those numbers are, they are actually inferior to the stats he put up during the regular season — 1.83 GAA and .932 save percentage. Scott also had 13 total shutouts this year — eight in the regular season and five in the post-season.

4. Raphael Lavoie, RW, Halifax Mooseheads: He scored more playoff goals (20) than anyone in major junior hockey this year. Lavoie also finished second to Teasdale in Q post-season scoring with 32 points in 23 games and is the highest-rated 2019 NHL draft prospect in the tournament. Some scouting services have the six-foot-four winger ranked as high as the top 10 for next month’s draft.

5. Noah Dobson, D, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies: There isn’t much the Summerside native hasn’t already achieved. He won the Memorial Cup last year with the Bathurst Titan and was a tournament all-star after putting up seven points in four games. One month later, the New York Islanders drafted him in the first round (12th overall) and he followed that up by leading Canada’s defence at the 2019 world junior championship. Dobson won a second straight President Cup with the Huskies on Saturday and was the playoff MVP.

6. Brett Leason, RW, Prince Albert Raiders: The 20-year-old is the definition of a late bloomer. He has already been passed over twice in the NHL draft but many scouts have him ranked as a first-rounder this year. Leason improved his point totals from 32 in 2017-18 to 89 this season and played for Team Canada at this year’s world junior championship. He finished second in the WHL playoff scoring race — by one point — with 25 points in 22 games.

7. Samuel Asselin, C, Halifax Mooseheads: Not many folks outside of Shawinigan and Bathurst had even heard of Asselin before last year’s Memorial Cup. The former Cataractes captain stepped up with five goals in four games to earn a spot on the tournament all-star team. The Mooseheads certainly took notice and made him their first target on the trade market this season. The overager rewarded them by leading the QMJHL in goals with 48 and is even more valuable for his leadership qualities.

8. Isaac Ratcliffe, LW, Guelph Storm: His 50 goals and 102 penalty minutes are the key regular season numbers but take note of these stats as well — six-foot-six and 204 pounds. Ratcliffe rides shotgun with Suzuki and is one of nine Guelph players who is six-foot-two or taller. The other winger on the Storm’s top line — MacKenzie Entwistle — is six-foot-three so size often matters in Storm wins. Ratcliffe led the OHL with 99 playoff shots and was third in goals (15) and points (30).

9. Rafael Harvey-Pinard, LW, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies: While Teasdale and Dobson were stealing all the headlines, the Huskies captain was the most productive player in the championship series against the Mooseheads. Harvey-Pinard finished with eight goals and 14 points in six games and finished the playoffs on an 11-game points streak. He registered two or more points in five of the six games in the final, including three three-point performances.

10. Dmitri Samorukov, D, Guelph Storm: Dobson (29 points) was the only defenceman in the CHL with more playoff points than Samorukov (28 points). He, too, was a standout at the world juniors, putting up four points and a plus-9 rating for Russia. Only Suzuki (plus-22) had a better rating in the OHL playoffs than Samorukov (plus-18).

This And That

--How many Jon Ryan jerseys has the Rider store sold?  I am guessing a few with a lot more ready to go.  The story of hometown boy who goes away, makes a name for himself, wins a Super Bowl ring and returns to finish his career off with the hometown team to fulfill a dream he has had since he was seven  is one that 95 percent of the fanbase loves.  They'll love it even more if Ryan gets a Grey CUp ring to go with his Super Bowl ring. For the five percent who don't, well you can go suck an egg.

One can only imagine what type of ovation he will get when he steps on the Mosaic Stadium field for the first time.   A standing ovation for a punter?  Don't laugh.  This is Saskatchewan so it just might happen. If it does, it will be one of those "Only in Saskatchewan" moments.

Ryan says this is what he has dreamed of since he was 7.  When you think of the career he has had, one could easily forgive him if he had forgotten about that dream a long time ago.  He never did.  Somehow, one thinks this day was one the 37-year-old had been waiting for.   What a thrill it must be for him and his family.  You won't find a better person on this planet than Barb.  I can only imagine how ecstatic Bob would be knowing his boy was kicking for the /=S=/.   What a great story! Let's just hope he isn't kicking 9-10 times a game. Speaking of 9, he got his number 9.  Will we ever find out what he gave David Watford for it?

--Do the Calgary Stampeders finish first in the West again or is this the year someone beats them out? I think Calgary has finished first every year since 2012.  If any team is going to beat them to the tape this year, it will be BC. Sorry Winnipeg,  sorry Edmonton!

--Now that the Friends of the Riders Touchdown Lottery is done, one has to ask if Tom Shepherd saved the green-and-white.  With their dire financial situation, Shepherd found a way for fans to help with the bottom line by creating a lottery that resonated with Rider Nation both in rural Saskatchewan, urban Saskatchewan and across the country if not North America.  Nearly 22.6 million dollars went into the Rider bank account because of the lottery.  That wouldn't have happened without Rider Nation and Shepherd.

--There is labour peace in the CFL.  In the back of our minds, I think we all knew the CFL couldn't afford a work stoppage, but the two sides definitely teased with us until the last second before getting something done.  In looking at it, there is a lot to like for the players.  I love the fact players can now stay in Canada and work here in the off-season. It will allow some to maybe move their families north of the border and become a part of the community.  A community that maybe they will stay in once they become a free agent.

--We sit and bitch at officiating no matter the sport, but can we all agree that the officiating in the Stanley Cup playoffs has been beyond terrible.  The latest example coming Wednesday in St. Louis as a hand-pass led to a goal in overtime to give the San Jose Sharks yet another huge break in these playoffs.  That's three for those who are counting! How do the four on-ice officials miss that hand-pass?  The NHL says that can't be reviewed. Why?  It's time that changed!

The NHL rewards its best officials with a Stanley Cup assignment.  Maybe this time around its the officials who have screwed up the least.  This has gone past embarassing. Changes are needed moving forward. Current players are calling for it and so are former players.  Martin St. Louis   You can't even blame this one on instant replay.   It just makes me call again for officials to be held accountable.  We deserve to hear from the officials why that call wasn't made.  If we can hear from the teams about why they won or lost, let's hear from those calling the game when a controversial call is made that decides a game.

--The Prince Albert Raiders were the last of the four teams to be decided for the Memorial Cup as they won Monday night.  They play in the first game Friday in Halifax against the host Mooseheads.  As much as I would like to see the Raiders do well, I just think that a gruelling seven game series followed by a trip across the country is too much.  I hope I'm wrong.  I just remember the Seattle Thunderbirds beating the Pats in 2017 and then getting their clock cleaned in Ontario as they only had a few days to recover.   Screw this talk of moving the CFL back by a couple of weeks, let's do it with the WHL.

--There was anger Monday night with Sportsnet over the fact Game 7 was not on the network that holds the CHL rights.  I understand the anger, but could Sportsnet really take the risk of coming to Prince Albert and setting up for a game that wouldn't have been played had the Raiders won Game 6.  I still say your blame should be centred on the WHL.....them and SHAW Communications for their ludicrous decision a few years ago to stop their sports programming.

-I love the fact Jay Onrait and Dan O'Toole are growing playoff beards. I can't believe they hadn't done it before.

--I had no idea former NHL Commissioner Clarence Campbell was a Saskatchewan boy.  Did you?  He's from Fleming!  If you don't know, he is going into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame as is Wendel Clark.  I thought Clark was already in.  What took him so long?

--The UFC is coming to Edmonton in late July.  The timing couldn't be worse for me so you won't find me sitting at Rogers Place. .  When can we get the UFC back in Saskatoon or even Regina?

--Saskatchewan is getting a 3rd area code? I think I know one person with in this province with a 639 area code.  Saskatchewan will always be the 306 to me.

--The Big Bang Theory wrapped up Thursday night.  How do I get my Kaley Cuoco fix now? Oh right, I just watch the re-runs on just about every channel.  TBBT was one of the few TV shows that I actually watch anymore.  There are way too many reality shows, medical dramas, etc. etc out there for me.  The only show I really try to watch anymore because it grabs my attention is "Billions".  That being said, there are some shows on Crave I need to start watching like "Brockmire".  As for network TV, nope!

--That's all I got.  Have a great weekend!

Friends Of The Riders Touchdown Lottery Comes To An End

A major fundraiser for the Saskatchewan Roughriders is coming to an end.

Citing his age and the fact the team’s bottom line is no longer an issue, Friends of the Riders Touchdown Lottery founder Tom Shepherd says after 33 years the lottery has come to an end.

Shepherd says it was a tough decision because of all the work he put into it, but the time was right.

“It was a great labour of love for me, but at the age of 76 it was time.” Shepherd said. ” I loved every second of it, and I drove many people crazy, but again I loved every second of it.  Another factor was the fact the team’s bottom line is no longer a concern which it was when it started.

The lottery helped the Riders through some tough financial times when it started and got to the point where nearly 22.6 million dollars was raised with more than 32 million in prizes being handed out to Rider fans and CFL fans across Saskatchewan and Canada.

May 16th Stanley Cup Playoffs Morning Skate

THREE HARD LAPS: QUICK HITS FROM WEDNESDAY

 * The Sharks won in overtime after scoring a tying goal with 1:01 left on the clock to win Game 3 and take a 2-1 series lead in the Western Conference Final.

 * When a best-of-seven series is tied 1-1, the winner of Game 3 owns an all-time series record of 215-104 (67.4%) – including a 54-17 mark in the Conference Finals/Semifinals (76.1%).


* The Bruins look to close out the Hurricanes and advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the 20th time in franchise history and third time in the last eight years (2011 and 2013).


SHARKS TAKE 2-1 SERIES LEAD IN WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL

St. Louis scored four second-period goals to overcome deficits of 2-0 and 3-1, but Logan Couture tied the game with 61 seconds remaining in regulation, setting the stage for the overtime winner by Erik Karlsson (2-0—2) to lift the Sharks to a 2-1 series lead.

 * The Sharks own a 2-1 lead in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Playoffs series for the 16th time in franchise history and own an all-time series record of 11-4 in the 15 previous instances. San Jose is up 2-1 in the Conference Finals for the second time in franchise history – they also led 2-1 in the 2016 Western Conference Final against St. Louis before reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the first time.

 * The Sharks won a postseason game after scoring a tying goal in the final 90 seconds of regulation for the third time in franchise history. The other instances: Game 2 of the 2010 Conference Quarterfinals and Game 2 of the 2013 Conference Quarterfinals.

 * San Jose became the first team to win a game in the Conference Finals after scoring a tying in the final 90 seconds of regulation since 2011, when Vancouver did so against them in Game 5.

 * Couture scored his League-leading 14th goal of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs (14-6—20 in 17 GP) to match the franchise record for most in a postseason, a mark set by teammate Joe Pavelski in 2016 (14-9—23 in 24 GP).

* Couture, who extended his goal streak to three games (5-1—6), now sits one goal shy of matching Sidney Crosby (15 in 2009) and Alex Ovechkin (15 in 2018) for the most in a postseason over the last 22 years. The NHL record for most goals in a playoff year is 19, a mark set by Philadelphia’s Reggie Leach in 1976 (19-5—24 in 16 GP) and matched by Edmonton’s Jari Kurri in 1985 (19-12—31 in 18 GP).

 * Karlsson scored his first two tallies of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs (2-13—15 in 17 GP) to snap a 31-game goal drought dating to Dec. 29, 2018. Karlsson became the second defenseman in NHL history to record a multi-goal game in the Conference Finals/Semifinals which included the overtime winner, joining Montreal’s Georges Mantha who did so over 88 years ago in Game 3 of the 1931 Semifinals (2-0—2 vs. BOS).

 39-YEAR-OLD THORNTON SCORES TWICE, RECORDS THREE POINTS

Thirty-nine-year-old Joe Thornton (2-1—3), a veteran of 21 NHL seasons, became the oldest player in League history to post his first career multi-goal playoff game – doing so in his 176th career postseason contest.

* Thornton also became the oldest player in franchise history to score multiple goals in any game (regular season or playoffs). The previous mark for the playoffs was set by Jeremy Roenick (38 years, 96 days) in Game 7 of the 2008 Conference Quarterfinals (2-2—4 vs. CGY).

* Overall, Thornton became the 11th different player in NHL history age 39 or older to record a multi-goal game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and first since Boston’s Mark Recchi (43 years, 125 days) in Game 3 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final (2-0—2 vs. VAN) – who tops the list as the oldest.

 * Thornton now has 444-1,167—1,611 in 1,742 carer games (regular season and playoffs combined), surpassing Bryan Trottier for sole possession of the 16th-most combined points in League history.

JOE PAVELSKI NOTCHES 100TH CAREER PLAYOFF POINT

Captain Joe Pavelski (0-1—1), who was selected by the Sharks in the seventh round (205th overall) of the 2003 NHL Draft, recorded his 100th career playoff point. In doing so, he became the fourth player drafted in the seventh round or later to collect at least 100 postseason points.

BLUES DEFENSEMAN COLTON PARAYKO MATCHES FRANCHISE RECORD

Trailing 2-0, the Blues scored four goals in the second period to take the lead, marking the first time in 19 years that they scored at least that many goals in a playoff period. Their last such instance also came against San Jose, when they scored five times in the middle frame of a 6-2 victory to stave off elimination in Game 6 of the 2000 Conference Quarterfinals.

  * Colton Parayko assisted on three straight goals to match the franchise record for points in a playoff period – a feat last achieved by Jochen Hecht in the game noted above.

* Parayko also became the 10th player in franchise history – and first defenseman – to record three points in a game during the Conference Finals/Semifinals. The only other Blues skater to collect three assists in a Conference Finals/Semifinals game is Ab McDonald (0-3—3 in Game 2 of 1970 SF vs. PIT).

BRUINS EYE BERTH IN STANLEY CUP FINAL

The Bruins and Hurricanes are set to clash in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final at PNC Arena, with Boston needing a win to advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the 20th time in franchise history and third in the last eight years (2011 and 2013). Teams that take a 3-0 lead in a best-of-seven series own an all-time series record of 189-4 (97.9%) – including a 3-0 mark in 2019.

* With wins in each of their last six contests, the Bruins look to close out the Hurricanes and post their longest playoff winning streak in 47 years. Only three teams in the last 11 postseasons have had a win streak of seven or more games: the 2012 Kings, 2011 Lightning and 2010 Blackhawks.

 * Tuukka Rask has backstopped Boston in each of those six victories, posting a 1.50 goals-against average, .956 save percentage and one shutout over that span. Rask trails only Gerry Cheevers - one of three goaltenders to win multiple Cups with the Bruins - for the longest postseason win streak in franchise history (10-0 in 1970).

 * Rask is the second netminder in as many postseasons to post a save percentage of at least .956 over a span of six games, after Marc-Andre Fleury began the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a .967 save percentage with the Golden Knights.

* David Krejci enters Game 4 with points in each of his last five contests (2-4—6) and in 12 of 16 games this postseason (4-9—13). After netting 1-1—2 in Boston’s series-clinching game in Columbus, the 33-year-old now has 7-17—24 in 26 potential series-clinching games - the highest such total in franchise history. Only four active NHL players have more points in such contests: Sidney Crosby (10-28—38 in 37 GP), Evgeni Malkin (11-24—35 in 36 GP), Patrick Kane (14-15—29 in 21 GP) and Jonathan Toews (11-16—27 in 21 GP).

* Hurricanes captain Justin Williams, who has posted 15-13—28 in 24 games with his team facing elimination (17-7), played a part in one of the four instances in NHL history of a team overcoming a 3-0 series deficit to win. He registered each of his six points in the 2014 First Round in Games 4-7 to propel the Kings past the Sharks, winning both the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy.

(NHL Media)