The 2019 Stanley Cup Final was a good one, according to hockey fans – the dogs of Instagram included.
The 2019 Stanley Cup Final went the full distance of seven games, and the hockey fans among the dogs of Instagram enjoyed the ride.
The -time Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins advanced through the Eastern Conference half of the bracket, defeating Toronto, Columbus and Carolina, in that order.
The St Louis Blues, part of the original league expansion of 1967, advanced through the Western Conference half of the bracket, toppling Nashville, Dallas and San Jose, in that order.
According to our Instagram poll before the 2019 Stanley Cup Final began, puplic opinion among the hockey dog community was split, as Goldie the Yorkie sided with St Louis, while Bark-Andre Furry the Jack Russell Terrier went with Boston.
(This disagreement didn’t stop them from having a wonderful time at the Joy Prom Las Vegas, however.)
They weren’t the only pop culture couple to disagree, though – The Office sports feud continued as Jenna Fischer (Pam Beesly-Halpert) and John Krasinski (Jim Halpert) traded good-natured trash talk (she was for the Blues, he was for the Bruins). This feud also extends to Cardinals–Red Sox World Series matchups.
Most of the hockey dogs on Twitter and Instagram were pulling for St Louis because of Barclay the Labrador, their service dog in training. The Dog O’Day staff (people, pups and cat) definitely were.
Game 1 was held in the TD Garden in Boston, but St Louis scored first on Brayden Schenn’s first-period goal. Vladimir Tarasenko made it 2-0 early in the second period, but the Bruins roared back with a goal from Connor Clifton and a power play score from Charlie McAvoy.
The third period was all Boston, as Sean Kuraly put them ahead 3-2 and Brad Marchand added an empty netter for insurance purposes.
This cute Pug was very pleased with the game’s outcome.
Game 2 was an overtime thriller that many missed, as it was on NBC Sports Network. Coyle put Boston ahead to start things off, only to have the Blues’ Robert Bortuzzo answer, then Joakim Nordstrom scored, only to have Tarasenko tie it again at 2 after the first period.
The second and third periods were both scoreless, sending the game into overtime, and St Louis’ Carl Gunnarsson knotted the series at one game apiece with his goal to give his team the 3-2 win.
We think this Doberman looks very pretty in her jersey.
Game 3, shown on NBCSN and played at the Scottrade Center in St Louis, was all Boston. They piled up three unanswered goals in the first period, and then two each in the final two periods to triumph by the crushing score of 7-2 (this is roughly equal to losing a football game by 50 points.)
This huge fellow was proudly wearing his Bruins bandanna in support. He could actually play hockey, probably.
Game 4 was back on NBC, and Ryan O’Reilly scored just 43 seconds into the contest to put the Blues ahead, only to have Coyle answer and then Tarasenko reply. The Bruins tied the game in the second period off Brandon Carlo’s shorthanded goal, but then in the third O’Reilly found the net again and Schenn added the empty netter to cap off the 4-2 St Louis triumph.
Gus prefers the early 1990s throwbacks for his jersey of choice.
Game 5 was back in Massachusetts, it started out as a defensive struggle before O’Reilly scored the first goal of the game in the second period. In the third David Perron made it 2-0, and they held on to win 2-1.
Lucky was very pleased that the Stanley Cup was now within sniffing distance.
The Stanley Cup traveled to Missouri for Game 6, but it had to wait a bit before the celebrations started, as Marchand put Boston ahead on the scoreboard with a power play goal. The second frame was scoreless, while the third saw four Bruins goals find the net for the 5-1 victory.
Lucy the Pit Bull is a Boston doggo through and through, but it’s always easier after a win.
Game 7 took place in Boston, but it was all St Louis, as the Blues held a 2-0 advantage halfway through the second period, and though Boston managed to slip one by in the waning seconds, as the St Louis Blues claimed the 2019 Stanley Cup Final four games to three with the 4-1 victory.
Now, hockey Twitter is abuzz with one important question: will Barclay get his name on the Cup? (All players and coaches, along with some staff members, get their names engraved on the trophy, one of the sport’s greatest traditions.)
Hockey dogs now have to wait until October for the new season to start, but in the meantime, there’s still baseball and soccer out there to enjoy.