For the first time since 1970, the Boston Bruins and the St. Louis Blues will square off in the Stanley Cup Finals. Forty-nine years ago, the Blues were an expansion team that went through a conference that was all expansion teams, as the existing teams had all been put in the same conference, and the Bruins took advantage of the Blues’ lack of experience and swept them right out of the postseason. This year’s Blues are not ingenues; they have been forged by steel in a comeback that saw them sitting with the worst record in the NHL on January 2, and they have been red-hot since then. Boston is the best team from the regular season remaining in the postseason, thanks in large part to the hot hand of goaltender Tuukka Rask. Can the Blues head to Boston and steal Game 1? Or will the Bruins defend home ice and do something unusual in these NHL playoffs — win as a favorite? Take a look at our Stanley Cup betting preview.
Blues vs Bruins Stanley Cup Finals Game 1 Odds & Picks
After a lengthy 11-day layoff, it’s finally time for the #StanleyCup Final. 🎥 All of today’s pregame news in 60 seconds, pres. by @ZipRecruiter: pic.twitter.com/zJ8IJ2lnLJ
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) May 27, 2019
- When: Monday, May 27, 2019, 8:00pm ET
- Where: TD Garden, Boston
- TV: NBC
- Radio: ESPN 101.1 FM St. Louis / 98.5 FM The Sports Hub Boston
- Live Stream: ESPN+
- NHL Odds: St. Louis +136 / Boston -164 / O/U 5.5
Why should you bet on St. Louis?
St. Louis did have a tougher conference final than Boston did, as the Bruins took down the Carolina Hurricanes with ease. However, the Hurricanes had done some impressive demolition of their own in the first two rounds, so Boston should also get credit. With that said, you may see some rust from the Bruins in the early going. St. Louis will ride Vladimir Tarasenko again, and he was huge in the conference finals, putting up 8 points in the six-game series. He has 13 points over the first three rounds, so the sight of him heating up is a positive sign.
The Bruins have a tendency to rely on their first line to do all of their scoring. This has been to the detriment at times; the emergence of their third and fourth lines in the postseason has been a positive sign. Boston will miss Chris Wagner for likely the whole series with an “upper-body injury,” but Sean Kuraly is still a problem for opponents, and the Blues will need to watch out. The Blues will also need another seasoned effort from Jordan Binnington in net.
Why should you put your money on Boston?
Boston’s power play has been lights out in these playoffs, converting 34 percent of the time. The next-best team in the playoffs was the Vegas Golden Knights, at 27.6 percent. St. Louis has converted at a 19.4 percent clip, a little better than half as frequently as the B’s. The top line of Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron has contributed big time. There also have been lots of clutch goals from the Boston third and fourth lines.
There should be some openings against the St. Louis Blues, because they have shortened their bench to a rotation that relies on four defensemen. The Blues did come through a grueling physical series against the San Jose Sharks, and having to ride Jay Bouwmeester for more than 20 minutes a game on the blue line could give Boston the edge late, as fatigue becomes a factor. The Blues took advantage of a Dallas team that didn’t know what to do with a 3-2 series lead in the second round and stopped playing offense, and then benefited from getting to play a San Jose team that should have lost in the first round. The Bruins are easily the most complete team the Blues will face in these playoffs.
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
Boston’s Tuukka Rask has been a wall in goal for Boston, and I don’t see that changing in this series. St. Louis has to have less gas in the tank, and taking the trip to Boston will drain the lines even more. I like the Blues’ effort, but I see Boston winning the opener, 3-2.
