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The Boston Bruins host the St. Louis Blues in the first game of the Stanley Cup Finals.
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A lot of talk leading up to this series has been about the Bruins extended layoff. Boston have been off for a full ten days and typically a long layoff doesn’t bode well for teams in the NHL.
Boston is experienced and they should be able to get into form quickly, but I’m worried about them in the opener. The Blues know they need to come out in game 1 and fire on all cylinders. The Blues are going to be rested too, but they haven’t had as long of a layoff.
Stanley Cup Final's Preview and Predictions - St. Louis Blues vs. Boston Bruins
When: Monday, May 27th 2019 at 8:00PM ET
Where: TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts
Watch: NBC & CBC
Both teams are 2-1 in game 1’s during the playoffs this season. One interesting statistic that I came across is that the Blues are 9-1 in the playoffs when they score in the first six minutes. If they come out firing and can open the scoring early, there’s a good chance they’ll steal the first game.
My Pick to Win Game 1 of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals
- St. Louis Blues +130 (Bet $100 to win $130)
Boston may have swept Carolina last round, but the Blues are on a roll too. They won the last three games against the Sharks by a combined score of 12-2. Jordan Binnington was great in net and the defense really suffocated the Sharks potent offense, which should carry over to this series.
Benefits of Betting Hockey at Americas Bookie Online Sportsbook
Firing shots at Tuukka Rask in the opener is important too, as the Blues can’t afford for Rask to get comfortable. He’s playing great in net, but the Blues depth will pose problems for Boston.
Vladimir Tarasenko turned it on during the Western Conference Finals, which is a good sign, as he was the Blues leading scorer with 33 goals, but he struggled in the first two rounds of the playoffs.
For the Blues to have the best chance at winning, they simply need to stay out of the box. Boston has a lethal power play, but they weren’t nearly as good offensively when playing 5-on-5. In fact, the Bruins top line scored one goal while playing 5-on-5 during the Eastern Conference Finals.
Best Prop Bet for Blues vs. Bruins Game 1
- St. Louis Blues Win 1st Period +120 (Bet $100 to win $120)
As I mentioned earlier, the Blues have had incredible success in the playoffs when scoring early in games. With the Bruins likely trying to knock-off some rust in the opening period, I expect the Blues to attack hard and do everything they can to score an early goal on Rask.
NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs - Betting the 3-Way Line
With this bet, there is also potential to get your moneyback if the period ends in a draw. I believe this is a great bet to start the series with due to the Bruins long layoff.
We’ll be previewing every single game during the NHL Stanley Cup Finals, so make sure you come back for our free NHL predictions every night. We’ll be posting winner and prop picks every game.
