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Jake Allen #34 of the St. Louis Blues allows a third period goal to Marcus Johansson (not pictured) of the Boston Bruins in Game Three of the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Enterprise Center on June 01, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri.JS/Getty Images

After absorbing the St. Louis Blues’ best shot in the first six minutes, the Boston Bruins landed a knockout punch with a 7-2 victory in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Saturday night.

Torey Krug had a goal and three assists as Boston knocked out rookie goalie Jordan Binnington in the second period and took a 2-1 series lead. Patrice Bergeron had a goal and two assists.

Game 4 is Monday night, with the Blues needing a win to avoid an elimination scenario for Game 5 Thursday night in Boston.

In order to equalize the series, St. Louis will need a more detailed performance than it offered after an initial surge in which it held the Bruins without a shot for more than six minutes.

But the game’s shape changed on the first of four Boston power-play chances. Bergeron deflected Krug’s point shot past Binnington at 10:47 of the first period, 26 seconds after David Perron took a minor for interference.

The Bruins carved out their winning margin with three goals in a 3:01 span bridging the first and second periods. Charlie Coyle buried a wrister from the right circle at 17:40, and Sean Kuraly beat Binnington with a wrister at 19:50.

Blues interim coach Craig Berube challenged that goal for interference, but lost. It resulted in a Boston power play, by rule. David Pastrnak cashed in 41 seconds into the second period on a backhander at the left post for a 4-0 lead.

Ivan Barbashev potted a wrister from the slot at 11:05 to get St. Louis on the board, but Krug ended that momentum at 12:12 with a man-advantage wrister. That was it for Binnington, who made 14 saves on 19 shots. Jake Allen replaced him and stopped three of four shots.

Colton Parayko bombed a power play goal past Tuukka Rask at 5:24 of the third period, but that was it for the Blues.

Noel Acciari added an empty-net marker at 18:12 for Boston, and Marcus Johansson tacked on his fourth goal of the playoffs at 18:35 on the power play.

Rask recorded 27 saves.

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