It took a while, but the Boston Bruins finally learned who they will face in the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals in the form of the St. Louis Blues. The Bruins and Blues faced only two times in the regular season and had a split. Will the Blues upset Boston in Game 1? Or will the Bruins show no signs of rust and get to a 1-0 series lead? The Blues are +130 to win the series, while the Bruins are at a price of -160.
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Betting Preview for St. Louis Blues vs. Boston Bruins NHL Playoffs Stanley Cup Finals Game 1 on May 27, 2019
Where: TD Garden, Boston
When: Monday, May 27, 2019, 8:00 PM ET
Line: St. Louis Blues (+140) vs. Boston Bruins (–160) – view all NHL lines
Series: Tied, 0-0
TV Broadcast: NBC
Betting on the St. Louis Blues (45-28-9 Regular Season)
Who knew that a rookie goaltender who took over the gig midway through the season will be this integral to the Blues’ deep run in the Stanley Cup playoffs? Jordan Binnington had a Jordan-esque Game 6 in the Western Conference Finals, as he stopped 25 shots on 26 shots faced in a 5-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Binnington has not allowed more than two goals in seven of his last nine starts in the playoffs. He is 12-7 with a 2.37 GAA and .914 SV% in 19 starts in the playoffs. Offensively, the Blues must be excited over the resurgence of their top line. After being quiet for a few games, the trio of Jaden Schwartz, Brayden Schenn, and Vladimir Tarasenko has come alive, combining for eight goals and six assists over the past five games.
The over is 4-1-1 in St. Louis’ last six road games.
Betting on the Boston Bruins (49-24-9 Regular Season)
The Bruins had an easier time getting past the conference finals round than St. Louis, as Boston swept the Carolina Hurricanes in four games. Like St. Louis, the Bruins leaned on the effectiveness of their goalie in the playoffs. Tuuka Rask has been sensational since the end of the regular season, going 12-5 with a 1.84 GAA and .942 SV% in 17 starts in the playoffs. He shutout the Hurricanes in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, stopping all 24 shots that he faced. Rask is also enjoying a robust goal support. The Bruins are second among all teams that made the playoffs with 3.57 goals per game. Their power play attack, in particular, has been unmatched in the postseason with a 34.0 percent success rate. The Bruins should have success on the man advantage against St. Louis’ special teams that only has a 78.0 penalty kill percentage.
The Bruins are 5-1 in Boston’s last six home games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Bruins win, 3-2.
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