ST. LOUIS — The Boston Bruins fell, 4-2, to the St. Louis Blues in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final as the series now returns to Boston knotted at 2-2.
St. Louis scored a pair of third period goals to move past Boston, who never led in the contest.
Ryan O'Reilly tallied two goals for the host Blues, including the game-winner with 9:22 remaining in the third period. The center also opened the scoring 43 seconds into the game with his first strike.
Vladimir Tarasenko also scored for the Blues, who responded after Boston drubbed them, 7-2, in Game 3.
PREVIOUS: Bruins roar to Game 3 victory in St. Louis
Charlie Coyle scored his third goal in as many games for the Bruins, while Brandon Carlo scored the other tally for Boston.
The series returns to Boston for Game 5 Thursday night at TD Garden. Puck drop is slated for 8 p.m.
Boston, the champions of the Eastern Conference, reached their third Stanley Cup Final in nine seasons after sweeping the Carolina Hurricanes in the Conference Finals. Conversely, St. Louis appears in the championship round for the first time in 49 years after defeating the San Jose Sharks in six games in the Western Conference Finals.
This series is the second time the two squads square off with the Stanley Cup on the line. The first came in 1970 - the last time the Blues played in the final round - when Boston won the series four games to none.
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LIVE UPDATES:
Postgame: Bruins Coach Bruce Cassidy said he was uncertain of Chara's status for Game 5 after he suffered an upper-body injury when he took a puck to the jaw in the second period.
10:56 p.m.: Blues 4, Bruins 2. The series is all tied up at 2-2.
10:52 p.m.: Brayden Schenn scores on an empty Boston net to push the St. Louis lead to 4-2.
10:36 p.m.: Ryan O'Reilly scores his second of the game, making it 3-2 Blues with 9:22 to go.
10:33 p.m.: The Blues make the penalty kill.
10:29 p.m.: And now the Bruins will have the man advantage with Jay Bouwmeester sitting down for a high stick.
10:26 p.m.: Bruins kill off the penalty.
10:23 p.m.: Danton Heinen gets called for tripping, sending the Blues to the power play.
10:20 p.m.: Zdeno Chara has returned to the ice for the start of the third period.
10:01 p.m.: After 2: Bruins 2, Blues 2.
9:50 p.m.: Brandon Carlo becomes the 20th goal scorer for the Bruins in these playoffs as he buries a shorthanded goal to tie the score at 2-2.
9:48 p.m.: After a flurry of pressure in the Boston zone, St. Louis will go to the man-advantage with Connor Clifton headed to the box.
9:43 p.m.: Blues kill off the penalty.
9:41 p.m.: Colton Parayko sends the puck over the glass in the defensive zone for a Delay of Game penalty. Bruins go to the power play for the first time in Game 4.
9:36 p.m.: Bruins kill off the penalty
9:34 p.m.: Charlie Coyle goes off for high sticking. With 14:10 to go in the second.
9:30 p.m.: Zdeno Chara is removed from the second period of Game 4 after taking a puck to the face/mouth area.
9:26 p.m.: The second period is underway.
9:05 p.m.: After 1: St. Louis 2, Boston 1
8:58 p.m.: Vladimir Tarasenko buries a rebound to make it 2-1 St. Louis with 4:11 to go in the first period.
8:51 p.m.: With just under 7 minutes to go in the opening period, Charlie Coyle scores his third goal in as many games to tie the score at 1-1.
8:25 p.m.: Ryan O'Reilly scores on a wrap-around bid to make it 1-0 St. Louis just 43 seconds into the contest.
8:23 p.m.: The first period is underway.
8:15 p.m.: Bruins tweet out their starters for Game 4