Connor Clifton Provides Bruins With Game 1 Spark Thanks To 'Cliffy Hockey'

By Matthew Geagan, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- Following their 10-day break between games, the Bruins were a bit lethargic to start Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues. They fell into a 2-0 hole early in the second period, and were in desperate need for a spark.

That flicker came from an unlikely source, and completely shifted the momentum of the contest.

It was less than two minutes after the Blues went up 2-0 that rookie defenseman Connor Clifton got the Bruins on the scoreboard. As Sean Kuraly sped up the right side of the ice with the puck on his stick, Clifton raced to the net on the left. Kuraly sent a cross-ice pass to Clifton who, somehow, with Robert Bortuzzo trying to poke the puck away, was able to deflect it up and over the out-of-place Jordan Binnington.

The tally won't win any style points, but it's the latest example of Clifton's aggressive play paying off. The goal woke up the Bruins and the fans in the TD Garden, and was the spark they needed to propel them to an eventual 4-2 comeback win to take a 1-0 series lead.

"I saw a three-on-two and an opportunity to go to the net. Luckily it hit off my foot and went in," Clifton said of his tally. "Honestly, I didn't even see it go in. The celebration was good -- I didn't care who scored."

After the victory, Boston head coach Bruce Cassidy praised Clifton not only for his aggressiveness, but his heads up play throughout Game 1. Nothing is very stylish with Clifton, but he usually finds a way to be in the right place at the right time.

"It's one the reasons he's here. He's got a good hockey IQ and has learned when to go and when to be conservative, when to pick the right spot without being risky and putting us in a disadvantage. He kind of slides in there and all of a sudden he's there," said Cassidy. "Obviously, that's smarts and also foot speed. He's a better skater than people realize and is stronger on his feet than people realize. When I say people, I mean the opposition. That's what allows him to be there.

"And he has a little bit of that 'Cliffy Hockey' where he plays on instincts," added Cassidy, no doubt amplifying a new phrase for this Cup run. "Right now his instincts are good to him and it's working."

There will be talk of "Cliffy Hockey" throughout New England this week. There's little doubt that the dorms at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut were as loud as the Garden after Clifton put the Bruins on the board, becoming the first former Bobcat to tally a goal in the Stanley Cup Final.

Clifton spent most of his season in Providence before getting bumped up to the NHL for six weeks in November due to injuries on the Boston blue line. He was back in the mix in mid-March, adding some more depth to Boston's D corps during the stretch run, and finished the season at plus-5.

He didn't score any goals during the regular season, tallying just one assist, but now he's up to a pair of goals in the playoffs. More importantly, he's providing some energy and smart play on Boston's bottom defensive pairing. Based on how he's played during the Bruins playoff run, Clifton may be in the NHL to stay.

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