BOSTON -- Where would the Boston Bruins be without Charlie Coyle? Probably not even with the St. Louis Blues entering Game 5 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final.
Coyle, thanks to his excellent Cup Final performance through four games, has become a legitimate Conn Smythe Trophy candidate as playoff MVP.
His nine playoff goals are tied with Patrice Bergeron for the team lead, and his 16 points are tied for third on the B's. He's been the most consistent scorer for the Bruins in this Cup Final, and his production on the third line has been vital because the top-six forwards have struggled (mightily, at times) during 5-on-5 play. Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron and Jake DeBrusk have combined for zero even-strength goals versus the Blues.
Coyle has scored in three consecutive Cup Final games with four points overall. He's the third player in as many years to score in three Stanley Cup games in a row -- the other two were Devante Smith-Pelly for the Washington Capitals last season and Jake Guentzel for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017.
The East Weymouth, Mass., native is the first Bruins player to accomplish the feat since the legendary Johhny Bucyk in 1970, which also came against the Blues.
Coyle is aiming to join a small club of 13 NHL players who've scored in four or more consecutive games in a Cup Final, and only six players have done it in the post-expansion (1967-68 to the present) era. Bucyk in 1970 is the the only Bruins player to ever do it. Wayne Gretzy was the last player to score in four straight Cup Final games when he led the Edmonton Oilers to a championship in 1985.
Boston Bruins
The pre-trade deadline move to acquire Coyle from the Minnesota Wild in February was criticized by some people at the time because Boston gave up talented forward Ryan Donato in the deal. But no one is criticizing the trade now, and if the Bruins ultimately win the Stanley Cup, the acquisition could go down as one of the best midseason moves in recent memory.
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