Blues fire Bannister, hire Montgomery as coach

Almost a year ago, the Boston Bruins were readying their best pitches when the so-called Jimmy Vesey sweepstakes saw them as a finalist for his sought-after services. Vesey waited out the draft rights of the Nashville Predators that expired on Aug. 15, and the Bruins rolled out the red carpet for the former Harvard University standout. The Bruins obviously didn’t end up landing Vesey as he chose the New York Rangers, instead. Don’t expect history to repeat itself when Hobey Baker winning University of Denver defenseman Will Butcher becomes a free agent next month. The 22-year-old offensive defenseman capped off a strong four-year college career with seven goals and 37 points in 43 games for the

The Predators look to even the series at home, while the Penguins hope to take a commanding lead back to Pittsburgh in the Stanley Cup Final.