VETERAN RASK LOOKS TO WRITE OWN STANLEY CUP CHAPTER

Tuukka Rask enters his third career Stanley Cup Final leading all goaltenders this postseason in wins (12; tied), save percentage (.942), goals-against average (1.84) and shutouts (2; tied). He previously backed up Tim Thomas when the Bruins defeated the Canucks in seven games to capture the 2011 Stanley Cup but did not see any game action. Two years later he was in net for all six games of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final before falling to the Blackhawks in six games.

* Despite falling in six contests, Rask shone in the 2013 Stanley Cup Final (2.21 GAA, .932 SV%, 1 SO). He made 59 saves in a triple-OT loss in Game 1 – the highest save total in a Stanley Cup Final game since Patrick Roy (63 SV) in Game 4 of the 1996 Final. In Game 2, he kept the Bruins close after being outshot 19-4 in the opening frame before going on to record an overtime win. In Game 3, Rask turned aside all 28 shots to record his third career playoff shutout. He finished the series with 41, 29 and 28-save performances in the final three games.

* Rask’s .932 save percentage in the 2013 Stanley Cup Final was tied for the third-highest by a goaltender on the losing side of the championship series since the League began tracking the stat in 1955-56 (min. 4 GP), matching Martin Jones (.932 in 2016 w/ SJS) and trailing only Dominik Hasek (.939 in 1999 w/ BUF) and Don Simmons (.933 in 1958 w/ BOS).

* Rask’s current .942 save percentage in the 2019 postseason is better than his number in 2013, when he equaled his former teammate for the fifth-highest save percentage in a playoff year (min. 15 GP).

* In his 12th season with the Bruins, Rask (265 W) became the franchise’s all-time leader in regular-season wins during the 2018-19 campaign, passing Hall of Famer Tiny Thompson (252 W), who had held the mark for 80 years after his final season in Boston (1938-39).

* Rask holds a career mark of 47-35 in the playoffs (2.17 GAA, .928 SV%, 7 SO) and sits three victories shy of becoming just the second goaltender in the franchise’s nearly 95-year history to reach 50 career postseason wins. He is currently six back of Gerry Cheevers for the most playoff wins by a Bruins goaltender.

* Rask looks to join Eddie Johnston (1970, 1972), Cheevers (1970, 1972) and Frank Brimsek (1939, 1941) as the fourth Bruins goaltender to win multiple Stanley Cup championships with the franchise.

* A native of Savonlinna, Finland, Rask can become the fifth Finnish-born player - and first goaltender - to win the Stanley Cup multiple times. He would join Jari Kurri (5x), Esa Tikkanen (5x), Reijo Ruotsalainen (2x) and Olli Maatta (2x).

BINNINGTON CATALYST OF BLUES’ COMEBACK SEASON

The Blues’ rise from the basement of the NHL standings to the Stanley Cup Final is in line with the emergence of rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington, who burst onto the scene to make his first career start on Jan. 7 with the Blues sitting last in the Western Conference. In that game, Binnington became the 35th goaltender in NHL history to earn a shutout in his first career start.

* On March 23, Binnington earned his 20th NHL win in just his 25th career start. Only five other netminders in League history recorded their 20th career win in 25 or fewer starts: Andrew Hammond (23 GS), Frederik Andersen (24 GS), Ross Brooks (24 GS), Matt Murray (25 GS) and Bill Durnan (25 GS).

* In the 76 days between Binnington’s first career start and his 20th career win, the Blues rose from last in the Western Conference and nine points back of a postseason berth to sixth in the conference with a nine-point buffer over the closest non-playoff team.

* Binnington, who has been named a finalist for the 2018-19 Calder Trophy, finished the regular season with a 24-5-1 record (1.89 GAA, .927 SV%, 5 SO) to set new franchise marks for wins and shutouts by a rookie. He also became the 10th rookie in NHL history to string together at least nine consecutive wins.

* In the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Binnington has been the only goaltender between the pipes for St. Louis, earning each of their 12 wins thus far – the most ever by a Blues goaltender in a playoff year. He is one of only seven rookie netminders with 12 or more wins in a single postseason.

* Binnington is just the fifth rookie netminder in NHL history, and first in 32 years, to earn each of his team’s first 12 wins in a playoff year. Additionally, he can become the ninth rookie goaltender in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to record every playoff win for a Stanley Cup champion – only two of the eight have required more than eight wins to do so: Patrick Roy (15 in 1986) and Ken Dryden (12 in 1971).

* The rookie netminder enters the Final with a .914 save percentage, tied with Ken Dryden for the sixth-highest by a rookie goaltender since the statistic was officially tracked in 1955-56 (min. 15 GP).

* Binnington can become the first goaltender in franchise history to earn a win in the Stanley Cup Final. Three others have made an appearance, including a pair of Hockey Hall of Famers: Glenn Hall (8 GP: 3.00 GAA, .918 SV%) and Jacques Plante (3 GP: 2.92 GAA, .908 SV%). Ernie Wakely (2 GP) was the other.

* Despite being swept in four games to the powerhouse Canadiens, Hall was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner in 1968 after leading the expansion Blues through a pair of seven-game series before reaching the Final. It was one of the five times since its inception in 1965 that the trophy has been awarded to the Stanley Cup runner-up. The others: Roger Crozier (1966 w/ DET), Reggie Leach (1976 w/ PHI), Ron Hextall (1987 w/ PHI) and Jean-Sebastien Giguere (2003 w/ ANA).

PLAYOFF QUICK CLICKS

* Mario Andretti takes Stanley Cup for 200 mph ride on eve of Indy 500

* Bobby Orr statue was made in St. Louis

* Blues' Pat Maroon high-fives kids as school lets out

* NHL Gaming World Championship set for HyperX Esports Arena in Vegas

* Jack Hughes, Kaapo Kakko will be in spotlight at NHL Combine

MEDIA DAY, PRACTICES SET FOR SUNDAY AHEAD OF GAME 1

The Bruins (11:00 a.m. ET) and Blues (1:00 p.m. ET) will both practice at TD Garden in Boston on Sunday before taking part in the annual Stanley Cup Final Media Day. On Monday, the teams will face off in Game 1.