The last time there was a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final, the Boston Bruins won their first championship in nearly 40 years. Boston will once again play a Game 7 for all the marbles Wednesday night with hopes of making sure the St. Louis Blues don’t end their own title drought.
The Bruins took care of business Sunday night in St. Louis, beating the Blues 5-1 and forcing the Game 7 showdown Wednesday at TD Garden. It’s the first Game 7 in a Cup Final since Boston defeated the Vancouver Canucks on the road in 2011 to capture their first Cup since 1972.
Wednesday night’s contest is just the 17th time in NHL history that the Stanley Cup has been decided over a Game 7, and it’s the first time in the Bruins’ 95-year franchise history that they have hosted the winner-take-all bout. St. Louis, meanwhile is looking to hoist Lord Stanley’s chalice for the first time in its 52-year history.
Here are a few more stats and tidbits about Wednesday night’s Game 7.
— The Bruins became just the sixth team in NHL history to win on the road to force a Game 7 in the Cup Final.
— If the Bruins can win Wednesday night, they’ll become just the ninth team in NHL history to win the Cup after trailing 3-2 in the series. The last team to do so? The 2011 Bruins.
— The team that scores first in a Game 7 (in any round) has won 74 percent of the matchups (131-46), and the team scoring first in a Stanley Cup Final Game 7 has an all-time record of 11-5.
— Home teams have an all-time record of 104-73 (any round), but the record is much better in the Cup Final: 11-5. That being said, the road team won the most recent Stanley Cup Final Game 7 (2011 Bruins).
— If Zdeno Chara plays in Game 7, it will be his 14th career Game 7 appearance which would be the most in NHL history.
— The Bruins have a pretty decisive advantage when it comes to Game 7 advantage with 91 games of experience compared to 50 for the Blues. Five current Bruins players dressed for Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.
— Boston is 2-0 in Game 7 contests under Bruce Cassidy; Blues coach Craig Berube has a 1-1 record in winner-take-all matchups.
— None of this will really matter when the puck is dropped Wednesday night.
