from Christopher L. Gasper of the Boston Globe,

Luckily for the Bruins, the old adage that states it’s not how you start but how you finish held true to form as they opened their pursuit of championship lucky No. 13 since 2002 for the Boston professional sports trophy collection. Once they found their form, the Bruins were able to shake off a shaky first 21 minutes and take Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The last time these teams met in the Stanley Cup Final 49 years ago, the ending was unforgettable for the Bruins with Bobby Orr launched into the air and into Boston sports lore. In the rematch, the beginning was forgettable for the Bruins, but it ultimately proved forgivable. The Bruins gave themselves a pucks pardon and a 4-2 victory on Monday night at TD Garden.

The first part of this three-period play didn’t follow the Boston script. The last 39 minutes the Bruins and Blues shared a stage, but the Bruins got all the lines and all four goals. The Blues were basically relegated to set scenery. The Bruins took the final bow from a commanding performance, outshooting the Blues, 30-12, over the final 40 minutes and 38-20 for the game.

The encouraging notion for Boston is that this was far from their most complete, most efficient performance, far from 60 minutes of Stanley Cup-winning worthy hockey. Yet, they flipped the proverbial switch and walked away with their eighth straight postseason victory. Good teams, championship teams, find a way to win when they’re not at their best.

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