As the NHL prepares for the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the NHL.com staff selected the best 20 Stanley Cup Final games since 2000. Today, we look at Game 7 of the 2019 Final between the St. Louis Blues and the Boston Bruins, which was on nine ballots and recei…

As the NHL prepares for the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the NHL.com staff selected the best 20 Stanley Cup Final games since 2000. Our 15-writer panel nominated 44 games for consideration before each member voted for his or her favorite 20 from that list. Each favorite game was awarded 20 points, with the selections that followed receiving one fewer point each and so on, down to one point for each 20th-favorite game. Today, we look at Game 7 of the 2019 Final between the St. Louis Blues and the Boston Bruins, which was on nine ballots and received 67 points.2019 Game 7: St. Louis Blues 4, Boston Bruins 1
Jordan Binnington completed one of the best storybook finishes in Stanley Cup history when he led the Blues to their first championship, deflating the pro-Bruins crowd at TD Garden. Binnington, who started his first NHL game Jan. 7, made 32 saves and became the first rookie goalie to win 16 games in a postseason.
The home team won twice in the series, so it was no surprise the visiting Blues were confident heading into Game 7. They had an opportunity to win the Cup at home in Game 6, and thousands of fans congregated outside Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis to watch the game on big screens with hopes of celebrating a championship. But the Bruins won 5-1 and seemed to carry the momentum as the series shifted back to Boston, especially after questions arose concerning Binnington’s inexperience after he was fooled by a bouncing point shot from Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo that proved to be the winning goal in Game 6.
Boston came out flying in Game 7 and outshot St. Louis 12-4 in the first period but trailed 2-0 on goals from center Ryan O’Reilly (16:47) and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (19:52). Binnington made 11 more saves in the second period, and forwards Brayden Schenn and Zach Sanford helped the Blues pull away in the third.
Video: STL@BOS, Gm7: Binnington dazzles in Game 7 victory
They said it: “He bounced back. We knew he would. Unbelievable first period. His confidence, his swagger, his belief in himself … unbelievable.” — Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo on goalie Jordan Binnington
Historical significance: The Blues hadn’t reached the Stanley Cup Final since 1970, when they were swept 4-0 by the Bruins, a series that culminated with Bobby Orr’s flying-through-the-air overtime goal in Game 4. … Binnington went 8-2 in games after a defeat, equaling the record set by Ron Hextall of the Philadelphia Flyers in 1987 and matched by Nikolai Khabibulin of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Miikka Kiprusoff of the Calgary Flames in 2004. … O’Reilly won the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in 26 games.
Video: STL@BOS, Gm7: O’Reilly receives Conn Smythe Trophy
Iconic moment: Blues fan Laila Anderson, 11, had a bone marrow transplant for a rare immune disease five months earlier and became the team’s inspirational leader. The Blues surprised her by flying her to Boston for Game 7, then invited her on the ice for the celebration. The sight of defenseman Colton Parayko helping a euphoric Laila lift the Cup over her head brought smiles to anyone who saw it.
Video: Laila Anderson and Parayko hoist the Stanley Cup
Telling stat: Binnington became the fourth rookie goalie to win Game 7 of a Cup Final, joining Frank McCool of the Toronto Maple Leafs (1945 at the Detroit Red Wings), Ken Dryden of the Montreal Canadiens (1971 at the Chicago Blackhawks) and Cam Ward of the Carolina Hurricanes (2006 against the Edmonton Oilers).