Cnotes 2018 NHL Picks/News/Trends/Best Bets - Thru The Stanley Cup !

[Cnotes53]

NHL Stanley Cup Final: Blues vs Bruins series preview, odds and best bets
Rohit Ponnaiya

Patrice Bergeron and the Boston Bruins are -167 favorites to beat the St. Louis Blues for their seventh Stanley Cup victory.

The puck drops for the 2019 Stanley Cup Final on Monday, as the Cinderella St. Louis Blues battle the Boston Bruins. Both teams have ridden their red-hot goaltenders throughout the NHL playoffs and we could be in for some low-scoring contests over the next two weeks. We break down the series odds and give you in-depth trends and notes so you can make the best bets in this best-of-seven series.

ST. LOUIS BLUES VS BOSTON BRUINS

Series Winner Odds: St. Louis +120/Boston -167 @ Sports Interaction
Regular Season Head to Head: 1-1
Schedule

Game 1: TD Garden, Boston, MA - Monday, May 27, 8:00 p.m ET
Game 2: TD Garden, Boston, MA - Wednesday, May 29, 8:00 p.m ET
Game 3: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO - Saturday, June 1, 8:00 p.m ET
Game 4: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO - Monday, June 3, 8:00 p.m ET
*Game 5: TD Garden, Boston, MA - Thursday, June 6, 8:00 p.m ET.
*Game 6: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO - Sunday, June 9, 8:00 p.m ET
*Game 7: TD Garden, Boston, MA - Wednesday, June 12, 8:00 p.m ET

* if necessary

BACKGROUND

The first game these two teams played against each other in the regular season was a 5-2 Bruins victory but that was without rookie sensation Jordan Binnington in nets for the Blues. The second showdown was a 2-1 shootout win for St. Louis, with both Binnington and Boston netminder Tuukka Rask playing lights out. Expect this series to be more similar to the latter game, with both goalies on the top of their game at the moment.

In an NHL post season that's had a ridiculous amount of shockers, St. Louis might be the most surprising team of all. As late as January, the Blues were at the bottom of the NHL standings but turned their season around, largely due to the play of Binnington who went 24-5-1 with a 1.89 GAA and .927 save percentage in the regular season.

After sneaking past the Stars in seven games in the second round, the Blues found themselves down two games to one against the Sharks in the Western Conference Finals before reeling off three straight wins with a combined score of 12-2.

The Bruins have been steamrolling their competition lately with seven consecutive wins, a span where they have outscored opponents 28-9. They've also gone 10-2 in their last 12 games with one of those losses coming in double overtime and the other being a tight 2-1 contest. After sweeping the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals they'll have ten days of rest by Monday, which could make them a bit rusty in Game 1.

GREAT GOALIES

When it comes to the NHL playoffs a hot goaltender can often carry a team far. These teams have the two hottest goalies in the league, and the skaters around them aren't too shabby either. Binnington has a 2.36 GAA and .914 save percentage in the playoffs while Tuukka Rask has a 1.84 GAA and .942 save percentage for Boston.

In the Blues last nine games, Binnington has been even better with a GAA of 2.00 and a .925 save percentage. Expect this series to be low scoring and take the Under if you see the O/U set at anywhere near 5.5.

FURIOUS FINISHES

Both Boston and St. Louis have scored 16 goals in each of the first two periods and 24 goals in the third period. With 42.1 percent of all their goals being scored in the final frame, look into betting the third as the highest scoring period.

BRUINS BLANKING TEAMS EARLY

Speaking of period bets, one area where Boston might have the edge is in the first period. While both teams have scored 16 goals in the opening frame, the Bruins have allowed only six first-period goals in 17 games while the Blues have given up 17 in 19 contests.

It might be worth looking into the odds for the Bruins to score first or to lead after the first period. Boston is 34-7-5 when scoring first this season, and 25-5-1 when leading after the opening 20 minutes.

Even when their opponent scores first, Boston is an impressive 11-6 at home, a tidbit that could prove intriguing for live bettors.

ST. LOUIS STAYING DISCIPLINED

The Bruins have been absolutely devastating on the power play during the postseason, converting on 34 percent of their chances. It might not be easy to get the man advantage against the Blues however, with St.Louis having a league low 6:18 PIM.

A matter of fact Boston has the second-fewest PIM in the playoffs at just 6:21 so don't be surprised to see the vast majority of this series played at even strength.

Staying disciplined might negate one of Boston's biggest strengths considering that the only other team which averaged fewer than seven penalty minutes per game during the playoffs was the Toronto Maple Leafs, and they took the Bruins to seven games in the first round.

SKATER TO WATCH: DAVID KREJCI, BOSTON BRUINS

Penalties, or the lack-thereof, could prove be an x-factor when figuring out which player will lead the series in scoring as well.

Brad Marchand (+550) and Patrice Bergeron (+600) have some of the best odds but both of them have scored most of their points this post-season on the man advantage and they might not get many of those opportunities against the Blues. Marchand has scored 10 of his 18 points on the power play, while Bergeron has totaled seven of his 13 with an extra man on the ice.

David Krejci might hold better value at +850. Krejci leads the Bruins in even-strength points with 11 (while also chipping in with three points on the PP) and centers the Bruins vital second line. The Czech veteran put up 73 points during the regular season and has scored a point in each of his last five games but did sit out a scrimmage on Thursday due to illness. He's expected to practice on Saturday and play on Monday and if he's healthy could prove great value at +850 to lead the series in scoring.

 

[Cnotes53]

Blues' long-shot Stanley Cup odds could body check NHL bookies
Patrick Everson

The St. Louis Blues' Cinderella playoff run has beaten the odds and created major liability for sportsbooks heading into the Stanley Cup Final. Patrick Everson talks to Jeff Stoneback of MGM sportsbooks and Nick Bogdanovic of William Hill about how the Blues have Vegas sweating and bettors singing "Gloria."

On a mid-November night, six weeks into the 2018-19 NHL season, the St. Louis Blues traveled to Las Vegas to face the Golden Knights. The Blues were in the Central Division basement with 15 points, and the defending Western Conference champion Knights weren?t much better at second-to-last in the Pacific Division with 17 points.

Other than it being Friday night on the Strip, at an always-sold-out T-Mobile Arena, it seemed like any other early-season NHL game, with both teams still trying to find their form. However, at MGM Resorts sportsbooks, it marked the beginning of what?s become a stunning situation that looms large heading into Monday?s opening of the Stanley Cup Final between St. Louis and Boston.

The Blues entered that Nov. 16 game as +134 underdogs and fell behind 1-0 six minutes in. Then they reeled off four unanswered goals in a modestly surprising 4-1 victory, thrilling St. Louis fans who traveled out in force for the contest. Those fans, in turn, opened up their wallets on the then-40/1 shot to win the Stanley Cup.

?Early in the season, we always get a spike on visiting teams in the Stanley Cup futures book,? MGM sportsbooks? director of trading Jeff Stoneback told us. ?That day, we obviously had a lot of out-of-town visiting fans come to the game. So we did take a large number of bets on the Blues for that game. The Blues beat the Knights, and those fans then came in and bet the Stanley Cup futures.?

Still, it seemed innocuous enough, especially since six weeks later, on Jan. 2, the Blues were NHL cellar dwellers, last among all 31 teams with 34 points. MGM books had St. Louis at 150/1, while William Hill US had the Blues at their longest odds of the year, 300/1 to hoist Lord Stanley?s chalice.

?That was the high-water mark there, the first of the year, because they were dead last,? William Hill director of trading Nick Bogdanovich said.

Little did Stoneback or Bogdanovich know that as the NHL calendar steamed toward June, the Blues would still be alive ? and with that life, significant liability for the books.

Some bettors got on board at those huge numbers throughout much of January, while St. Louis actually made modest improvements, standing 25th in the league ? but still second-to-last in the Central ? with 45 points on Jan. 22.

A day later, Jan. 23, was when things really began to take shape. The Blues routed host Anaheim 5-1, then followed with three more road wins, including an impressive 1-0 overtime shutout of league-leading Tampa Bay. Rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington yielded just five goals in those four games. Bettors were getting more intrigued.

The Blues then swept a home-and-home with perennial Western Conference contender Nashville, followed by five more wins ? including three on the road ? to run their hot streak to 11-0. St. Louis capped the run with a 3-2 home overtime victory against Toronto to stand third in its division and fourth in the Western Conference.

?Give the people credit. They bet it really early, before the run started. So hats off to the bettors for that one,? Bogdanovich said. ?Then they were on the Blues early during that run, so I give them credit for that, too. And the number dropped, and they just kept betting it and betting it.?

Meanwhile, Stoneback was seeing the same situation unfold at MGM books, as the Blues? Stanley Cup price tightened all the way to 8/1.

?We took some big bets when they were on a double-digit winning streak, so we?ve got a lot of liability on St. Louis,? he said.

How much is a lot? Well, think back to a year ago, during the Golden Knights? inaugural season, when many Vegas sportsbooks were lamenting the monster losses they would incur if the hometown team won the championship. The Knights created a heavy sweat, reaching the Stanley Cup Final before losing to Washington in six games. MGM books are sweating it again this year.

?St. Louis is horrible. All the talk last year of Vegas winning the Cup, how much everybody was gonna lose, we?re gonna lose close to that if St. Louis wins the Cup,? Stoneback said. ?We are very close to the liability we had on the Knights. The Blues came from so far down, and people just kept taking a shot.?

In postseason play, the Blues dropped Winnipeg in six games, outlasted Dallas in a seven-game series, then beat San Jose in six games in the Western Conference final. St. Louis is now a +135 underdog to win the championship series, with MGM harboring mid-six-figure liability on the Blues and William Hill US in a similar spot ? which is actually a better position than last year, when Bogdanovich?s risk room dodged approximately $1.5 million in Golden Knights liability.

?It?s like a third of that,? Bogdanovich said of St. Louis? liability. ?The Blues were reasonably priced for the playoffs, it was around 20/1. But there was so much liability to them already. Bettors are still on the Blues on a game-by-game basis. On the futures, all the damage was done at those high numbers.

?It?s a phenomenal move, from last place to the championship series.?

 

[Cnotes53]

1St Louis -2 Boston
ST LOUIS are 23-6 ATS (17 Units) against good passing teams - averaging 5 or more assists per game in the 2nd half of the year in the current season.

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NHL
Dunkel

Monday, May 27

St. Louis @ Boston

Game 1-2
May 27, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
13.081
Boston
14.692
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
-160
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-160); Over

*************************************

NHL
Long Sheet

Monday, May 27

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ST LOUIS (57-33-0-11, 125 pts.) at BOSTON (61-29-0-9, 131 pts.) - 5/27/2019, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 13-2 ATS (+8.9 Units) in home games in non-conference games this season.
BOSTON is 36-22 ATS (+3.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 42-22 ATS (+11.5 Units) second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 41-23 ATS (+11.2 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 24-14 ATS (+9.7 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 36-23 ATS (+11.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 296-247 ATS (-104.3 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.
BOSTON is 1-6 ATS (-8.6 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest this season.
BOSTON is 60-63 ATS (+60.0 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 3-3 (+0.0 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 3-3-0 straight up against ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.2 Units)

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NHL

Monday, May 27

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Trend Report
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St. Louis Blues
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games
St. Louis is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
St. Louis is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games on the road
St. Louis is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Boston
St. Louis is 16-8 SU in its last 24 games when playing Boston
St. Louis is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Boston

Boston Bruins
Boston is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Boston's last 10 games
Boston is 5-12 ATS in its last 17 games at home
Boston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games at home
Boston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing St. Louis
Boston is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games when playing St. Louis
Boston is 4-10-2 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against St. Louis

 

[Cnotes53]

Ex-Blues rooting for St. Louis to win Stanley Cup
May 27, 2019
By The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) T.J. Oshie went through five early playoff exits with the St. Louis Blues who could never seem to break through.

Four years after being traded, the Capitals winger hopes the Blues winning the Stanley Cup will ease their pain.

''They put in a lot of hard work,'' said Oshie, who won the Cup with Washington last year. ''They've had a lot of heartbreak. ... For that fan base and a lot of the staff that took care of me for seven years and some players that are still there that I've had and have a close bond with, I'd love to see them win.''

Oshie and plenty of other former members of the Blues organization are rooting for their old team to win the Cup for the first time in franchise history. That includes a couple of executives who helped build the team and are beaming with pride at St. Louis living up to the potential that it appeared to have over this run of eight playoff appearances in 11 seasons.

''It's just a good thing,'' former Blues president of hockey operations John Davidson said. ''That city deserves this. It's a great sports city. There's a lot of tradition behind their hockey club. ... I'm happy for them.''

St. Louis is the NHL's oldest franchise that hasn't won the Cup, and only the Toronto Maple Leafs' drought since 1967 (months before the Blues' inaugural season) is longer. Scotty Bowman, the Blues' coach for consecutive trips to the final in 1968, 1969 and 1970, still feels a connection because his wife is from nearby Southern Illinois, he met her in St. Louis and has a history with assistant Larry Robinson and others in the organization.

Bowman is decades removed from his time with the Blues. Martin Brodeur was assistant general manager the past three seasons and before that was a special assistant to GM Doug Armstrong and finished his career in St. Louis.

Brodeur still lives in St. Louis while working for the New Jersey Devils because his 9-year-old son is in school and youth hockey there. He won't go so far as to attend the games, but is looking forward to the city getting swept up in Stanley Cup frenzy.

''This city, it's been crazy for this for a long time - obviously for 49 years, I guess,'' Brodeur said. ''Regardless of the people I worked with that they were tremendous to me and it was a big learning curve and everybody really helped me out in that department, but for the people that live in St. Louis and it's a great sports town and they care about their Blues - it's been a great run for them. I'm really happy for them.''

Davidson, who was with St. Louis from 2006-2012 and is now president of the New York Rangers, is happy for longtime Blues GM Larry Pleau, who has been with the club since 1997 and is now a senior adviser. Davidson also hired Armstrong to succeed Pleau and had a major hand in piecing together this core.

This was the success Davidson envisioned when the Blues drafted Alex Pietrangelo fourth overall in 2008.

''We actually sent him back to junior twice,'' Davidson said. ''It was a hard thing to do, but it was the best for him. To see him become captain and see the way he plays, that's pretty darn special.''

Davidson never imagined it would happen with Jordan Binnington in goal, going so far as to say, ''I don't think the Blues knew he was going to be this good, but God bless him, he's good,.''

Capitals backup goaltender Pheonix Copley knew how good Binnington was from their time together with the Blues' top minor league affiliate. Copley was the third goalie on Washington's first Cup-winning team a year ago and is thrilled to see his friend reach the final.

''He was a really good teammate and he's a great guy, and it's always good to see guys who have put in the work and deserve to be getting the opportunities and deserve to be getting the success that he's having,'' Copley said. ''When you have a relationship with a guy, you always kind of root for him. That would be really cool, but it's cool to watch him with all the success he's having. He's put in the work.''

There has been a lot of work put in for years when the Blues looked like a title contender. They looked anything like it during a 7-9-3 start that cost coach Mike Yeo his job, but interim replacement Craig Berube led the turnaround that got the Blues from last in the league on the morning of Jan. 3 to the playoffs and now the Cup Final.

Now that Oshie and Copley have championship rings of their own and the Capitals are out of the playoffs, they're rooting for the Blues to finish the job against the Boston Bruins.

''It would be special with their story with how they struggled earlier in the year and how they came together,'' Oshie said. ''It would be a pretty cool story for them.''

 

[Cnotes53]

MONDAY, MAY 27
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

STL at BOS 08:00 PM

STL +131

O 5.0

 

[Cnotes53]

Lack of discipline catches up with Blues in 4-2 Game 1 loss
May 27, 2019
By The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) The Blues spent most of the past week stressing how they couldn't afford to allow the Bruins to pile up power-play opportunities in the Stanley Cup Final.

That plan - and St. Louis' defensive discipline - slowly fell apart in their 4-2 loss in Game 1 on Monday night .

With the physicality high on both sides, the Blues were successful early in holding the Bruins' top players to few opportunities or power-play chances. The Bruins have been deadly with an advantage this postseason and entered the night with 34 percent success rate on power plays through the first three rounds.

But despite leading 2-0, St. Louis began to take penalties, giving life to a sluggish Bruins' offense.

''When that first goal went in, they got some momentum and made a big push there,'' goaltender Jordan Binnington said. ''We held it to a tie game going into the third. It wasn't the outcome we wanted. We've got to figure it out and get right back at them for Game 2.''

Ironically, the chances that Boston did eventually get came from its third and fourth lines, and culminated in a disastrous second period for St. Louis in which the Bruins scored a pair of goals to get back into the game.

Playing in his first Cup final, Binnington was able to play relatively relaxed in the first period, benefiting from some luck and well-placed sticks by his teammates as the Blues killed off the Bruins' first three power-play chances. When Marcus Johansson split two defenders and got a point-blank opportunity in the slot on Binnington, his shot careened off the post.

Binnington's discipline and his luck didn't last.

After Connor Clifton got the Bruins on the board off a feed from Sean Kuraly, things began to unravel with 7:19 remaining during a wild second period in which Boston outshot St. Louis 18-3. Charlie McAvoy got into the middle of the Blues defense and slipped a wrist shot past Binnington with 23 seconds left in their fourth power play of the game. McAvoy was faster and simply outskated an increasingly fatigued St. Louis defense.

''We started to get spread out, weren't winning pucks and turned the puck over,'' Brayden Schenn said. ''Whether it was by accident or we were nervous, we've just got to take care of it.''

Binnington said he wasn't surprised to see the Bruins pushing the action with some of their unusual suspects.

''They've got some depth there and some offensive defensemen. It's the Stanley Cup Final, both teams are good,'' he said. ''We've talented players, too. I think we need to find our game and we'll be alright.''

Blues coach Craig Berube said turnovers were a big contributor to his team getting put into bad spots.

''The second period I don't think we skated very well,'' he said. ''We got pucks, we just didn't skate. Turned them over. It gave them momentum.''

Forward David Perron said the accumulation of penalties stunted almost everything they wanted to do offensively after taking the lead.

''When you get into penalty trouble, a lot of guys sit on the bench and it's hard to get going. That's what happened a little bit,'' Perron said.

St. Louis did its best to give Binnington more support in the third and the teams played relatively even during the first part of the period. That momentum changed after Sammy Blais was called for yet a penalty - the Blues' fifth of the game - with 6:32 remaining for interfering with Charlie Coyle.

The Bruins didn't get a goal out of that one. But using that momentum, Kuraly was able to finish off Noel Acciari's pass and put Boston in front for good.

Still, Berube said the message heading into Game 2 is a simple one: keep doing what they're doing - minus the mistakes.

''We've been real disciplined most of all playoffs, pretty much,'' he said. ''We weren't tonight, obviously, with five penalties. We've got to be better there.''

 

[Cnotes53]

Kuraly, Bruins rally, beat Blues 4-2 in Stanley Cup opener
May 27, 2019
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BOSTON (AP) Sean Kuraly scored to break a third-period tie and assisted on another goal to help the Boston Bruins rally from a two-goal deficit and beat the St. Louis Blues 4-2 on Monday night in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Tuukka Rask stopped 18 shots for Boston, which fell behind 2-0 on goals from Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko. But the Bruins outshot the Blues 18-3 in the second period - and 38-20 in the game - to take the opener in the best-of-seven series.

Brad Marchand added an empty netter to clinch it.

Forty-nine years after Bobby Orr flew through the air following his Cup-clinching goal against St. Louis in the 1970 final, Boston defensemen Connor Clifton and Charlie McAvoy scored in the second period to tie it.

Jordan Binnington made 34 saves for the Blues, who haven't been back to the final since then. Game 2 is Wednesday night.

It had been 17,914 days since the Blues' last appearance in the Stanley Cup Final, when they lost to Orr's Bruins in four games.

They ran into a familiar problem: The Boston defense.

After taking advantage of Boston's slow start - the Bruins hadn't played since sweeping the Carolina Hurricanes in the conference final on May 16 - St. Louis jumped to a 2-0 lead.

Schenn made it 1-0 lead midway through the first period on a third-chance shot. In the first minute of the second, David Pastrnak got sloppy behind the Bruins' net and Schenn was there again, this time to pass it to Tarasenko in the slot to make it 2-0.

But just 76 seconds later, Clifton tipped in a pass from Kuraly to cut the deficit to one goal. And in the middle of the second, on the Bruins' fourth power play of the game, McAvoy came right up the middle and wristed it past Binnington's glove to tie it.

It was still tied five minutes into the third when Noel Acciari, on Binnington's left, made a spin move and swept the puck across the crease to Kuraly. He steadied it with his skate and then poked it in with his stick to give the Bruins their first lead of the game.

The crowd, which had previously been most excited to see the 2011 champions waving banners before the game, began a chant of ''Let's Go Bruins!'' Although David Krejci's penalty quieted the building, it came back to life when Torey Krug, angry over a scuffle with David Perron in front of the St. Louis net, sped down the ice helmetless and flattened Robert Thomas.

After the whistle, fans chanted ''We want the Cup!''

Notes: Lil Nas X and Chase Rice, who performed a concert in City Hall Plaza before the game, were in attendance. They both got big cheers when shown on the video board, and the crowd erupted when Rice chugged a beer. ... Members of the Bruins 2011 Stanley Cup championship team took part in pregame banner ceremonies. Five players on the current roster were on that team: Rask, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Krejci and Zdeno Chara. ... The Blues scored the first goal for the 14th time in 20 playoff games. They had been 10-3 when scoring first, and 6-1 when leading after the first period. ... Blues D Vince Dunn missed his fourth straight game with an unspecified injury. ... Binnington stopped 83 of the previous 85 shots he faced through one period, dating back to Game 4 of the Western Conference finals.

UP NEXT

The Bruins would be halfway to their seventh NHL title with victory on Wednesday night at home. It would be their first since 2011. They lost to Chicago in the 2013 final.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY MAY 29, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:08 PM St. Louis Blues Boston Bruins TD Garden

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY JUNE 1, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:08 PM Boston Bruins St. Louis Blues Enterprise Center

SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY JUNE 3, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:08 PM Boston Bruins St. Louis Blues Enterprise Center


*********************************


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

05/27/2019 1-1-0 50.00% +0.00
05/21/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -10.50
05/19/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -11.90
05/17/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -10.50
05/16/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/15/2019 1-1-0 50.00% +0.90
05/14/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -11.50
05/13/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -1.50
05/12/2019 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
05/11/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/09/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -10.50
05/08/2019 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
05/07/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/06/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -11.55
05/05/2019 1-0-1 100.00% +5.45
05/04/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
05/03/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -13.00
05/02/2019 2-2-0 50.00% +0.35
05/01/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00

Totals..............19-28-1 .....40.42% -72.10


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BEST BETS:


DATE........................ATS................... ..UNITS..................O/U..................UNITS.............TOTALS

05/27/2019..............0 - 1....................-5.00....................1 - 0................+5.00............+0.00
05/21/2019..............0 - 1....................-5.00....................0 - 1................-5.50.............-10.50
05/19/2019..............0 - 0...................+0.00....................0 - 1................-5.50.............-5.50
05/17/2019..............0 - 1....................-5.00....................0 - 1.................-5.50.............-10.50
05/16/2019..............0 - 0....................+0.00...................0 - 1.................-5.50.............-5.50
05/15/2019..............1 - 0....................+6.40...................0 - 1.................-5.50.............+0.90
05/14/2019..............0 - 0....................+0.00...................0 - 1.................-5.50..............-5.50
05/13/2019..............0 - 0....................+0.00...................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+5.00
05/12/2019..............1 - 0....................+5.00...................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+10.00
05/11/2019..............0 - 0 .................. +0.00...................0 - 1.................-5.50..............-5.50
05/09/2019..............0 - 1.....................-5.00.................. 0 - 1.................-5.50..............-10.50
05/08/2019..............1 - 0.....................+5.00..................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+10.00
05/07/2019..............1 - 0.....................+5.00..................0 - 1..................-5.50..............-0.50
05/06/2019..............0 - 1......................-5.00..................1 - 1..................-0.50..............-5.50
05/05/2019..............1 - 0.....................+5.45..................0 - 0................. -0.00.............+5.45
05/04/2019..............0 - 0.....................+0.00..................0 - 2.................-11.00.............-11.00
05/03/2019..............0 - 0.....................+0.00..................1 - 1..................-0.50...............-0.50
05/02/2019..............1 - 1.....................+0.85..................1 - 1..................-0.50 ..............+0.35
05/01/2019..............0 - 0.....................+0.00..................0 - 2.................-11.00.............-11.00


Totals..................... 6 - 6.....................+2.70................7 - 16...................-53.00............-50.30


*************************************


APRIL'S NHL BEST BETS


Totals....................10 - 12.................+3.00..................30 - 19.............+45.50...............+48.50

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY MAY 29, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:08 PM St. Louis Blues Boston Bruins TD Garden

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY JUNE 1, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:08 PM Boston Bruins St. Louis Blues Enterprise Center

SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY JUNE 3, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:08 PM Boston Bruins St. Louis Blues Enterprise Center


*********************************


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

05/27/2019 1-1-0 50.00% +0.00
05/21/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -10.50
05/19/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -11.90
05/17/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -10.50
05/16/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/15/2019 1-1-0 50.00% +0.90
05/14/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -11.50
05/13/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -1.50
05/12/2019 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
05/11/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/09/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -10.50
05/08/2019 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
05/07/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/06/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -11.55
05/05/2019 1-0-1 100.00% +5.45
05/04/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
05/03/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -13.00
05/02/2019 2-2-0 50.00% +0.35
05/01/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00

Totals..............19-28-1 .....40.42% -72.10


******************************


BEST BETS:


DATE........................ATS................... ..UNITS..................O/U..................UNITS.............TOTALS

05/27/2019..............0 - 1....................-5.00....................1 - 0................+5.00............+0.00
05/21/2019..............0 - 1....................-5.00....................0 - 1................-5.50.............-10.50
05/19/2019..............0 - 0...................+0.00....................0 - 1................-5.50.............-5.50
05/17/2019..............0 - 1....................-5.00....................0 - 1.................-5.50.............-10.50
05/16/2019..............0 - 0....................+0.00...................0 - 1.................-5.50.............-5.50
05/15/2019..............1 - 0....................+6.40...................0 - 1.................-5.50.............+0.90
05/14/2019..............0 - 0....................+0.00...................0 - 1.................-5.50..............-5.50
05/13/2019..............0 - 0....................+0.00...................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+5.00
05/12/2019..............1 - 0....................+5.00...................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+10.00
05/11/2019..............0 - 0 .................. +0.00...................0 - 1.................-5.50..............-5.50
05/09/2019..............0 - 1.....................-5.00.................. 0 - 1.................-5.50..............-10.50
05/08/2019..............1 - 0.....................+5.00..................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+10.00
05/07/2019..............1 - 0.....................+5.00..................0 - 1..................-5.50..............-0.50
05/06/2019..............0 - 1......................-5.00..................1 - 1..................-0.50..............-5.50
05/05/2019..............1 - 0.....................+5.45..................0 - 0................. -0.00.............+5.45
05/04/2019..............0 - 0.....................+0.00..................0 - 2.................-11.00.............-11.00
05/03/2019..............0 - 0.....................+0.00..................1 - 1..................-0.50...............-0.50
05/02/2019..............1 - 1.....................+0.85..................1 - 1..................-0.50 ..............+0.35
05/01/2019..............0 - 0.....................+0.00..................0 - 2.................-11.00.............-11.00


Totals..................... 6 - 6.....................+2.70................7 - 16...................-53.00............-50.30


*************************************


APRIL'S NHL BEST BETS


Totals....................10 - 12.................+3.00..................30 - 19.............+45.50...............+48.50

 

[Cnotes53]

Tuesday?s 6-pack

Updated odds for US Open golf tournament:

6-1- Brooks Koepka

7-1- Dustin Johnson

12-1- Eldrick Woods

14-1- Rory McIlroy

16-1- Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth

20-1- Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler

Tweet of the Day
?It would be nice to have another starter that we can run out there. Not to say that [Steven] Brault and Rookie [Davis] ? I heard [Mitch] Keller?s coming up ? can?t do it. But if you look at the staffs around the league and the division we?re in, it?s tough. We have to be running out the best thing we have every night. That?s what we?re trying to do right now.?
Pirates pitcher Joe Musgrove

Tuesday?s quiz
Jacob deGrom is a really good pitcher; what is the Mets? record in his last 40 starts?

Monday?s quiz
Steve Kerr played his college basketball at Arizona.

Sunday?s quiz
Michael Jordan was the 3rd pick in the 1984 NBA Draft; Hakeem Olajuwon was the first pick. Sam Bowie was the second pick.

****************************

Tuesday?s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but??

13) General observation from watching hours and hours of baseball; older umpires call more strikes than younger umps. No data to support this, but just get the feeling from watching so many games than older guys give more corners.

12) It still baffles me why major league baseball blacks out games; do they want the game to get more exposure, so younger people will like it the way we do?

Dodger games are blacked out in Las Vegas, which is three hours from Los Angeles. To paraphrase my high school chemistry teacher, ???this is nonsensical.?

You could have hundreds of people in casinos all over Las Vegas watching baseball, rooting for baseball players, talking/caring about baseball, but they black out the games. Why?!?!?!?!?

11) Baseball is hard; long season, 162 games in 182 days.
? Sunday, Trevor Story was 0-5 with five strikeouts.
? Monday, Javier Baez was 0-5 with five strikeouts.

Both these guys are really good players. Thats why you hear people say that you have to keep an even keel over the course of a long season. There will be bad days.

10) Rays 8, Blue Jays 3? Tampa Bay starter Yonny Chirinos didn?t allow a hit for five innings, but was taken out after throwing 69 pitches, with a 4-0 lead. Interesting decision.

9) Brewers 5, Twins 4? Twins scored first in 36 of their 53 games; they?re 30-6 in the games where they scored first. Minnesota still leads the AL Central by 10.5 games.

8) WHIP is a pitcher?s stat; walks and hits allowed divided by innings pitched- it measures how many baserunners a pitcher allows. Seems strange to me that if a pitcher hits a batter with a pitch, it doesn?t count against his WHIP. Shouldn?t it count the same as a walk?

7) Baseball stuff:
? Colorado put OF Charlie Blackmon (calf) on IL.
? Astros put 2B Aledmys Diaz (hamstring) on IL.
? Arizona put P Luke Weaver (forearm) on IL.

6) David Price will start Tuesday?s game vs Cleveland; he left his last start in Houston after 15 pitches because of flu-like symptoms.

5) World Series of Poker starts this week in Las Vegas; this is the 50th WSOP. Would be nice if they made online poker legal again, so ESPN would show more of the WSOP replays and less of their hideous talkshows that pollute the airways on weekdays.

I enjoyed watching poker re-runs; seeing the hole card cam and watching how people reacted to bad beats. Was unscripted and fun to watch, unless the horrendous talk TV they have on now.

4) College basketball transfer portal:
? TCU poaches George Mason grad transfer Jaire Grayer
? Arkansas poaches SMU grad transfer Jimmy Whitt.

3) A?s 8, Angels 5? Oakland won its 10th game in a row, their longest win streak in 13 years.

2) Monday?s game between the White Sox and Royals was suspended with two outs in the bottom of the 5th inning, tied 1-1. The game will be resumed before tomorrow?s regularly-scheduled game.

1) RIP to Bill Buckner, who passed away at age 69; he hit .289 over a 22-year career that saw him get 2,715 hits. Twice led the league in doubles; won NL batting title in 1980.

 

[Cnotes53]

Bruins-Blues chess match just starting
May 28, 2019
By The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) Bruce Cassidy didn't mince words or hide behind the secrecy of playoff hockey.

The Boston Bruins coach telegraphed the most important matchup of the Stanley Cup Final on the morning of Game 1. As long as he had the last change and the ability to dictate matchups, his top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak would play against the St. Louis Blues' red-hot line of Jaden Schwartz, Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko.

In the chess match that is every playoff series, Cassidy's first move put Boston down two goals in Game 1. His quick thinking on pulling the plug on that experiment helped the Bruins come back to win 4-2 Monday night with fourth-line forward Sean Kuraly and third-pairing defenseman Connor Clifton the unlikely heroes. Cassidy at times put his fourth line of Kuraly, Joakim Nordstrom and Noel Acciari against the Schenn line with great success.

Almost 80 percent of teams that win Game 1 have gone on to win the Cup, but how Cassidy, Blues coach Craig Berube and their teams adjust will have a say in that. Game 2 is Wednesday night.

''We've used Kuraly's line all year against good lines and we decided to go that route,'' Cassidy said. ''It worked out for us tonight and we'll reevaluate it on Wednesday.''

With so much talent, size and skill on each side, there are limitless combinations Cassidy and Berube can tinker with. Depth and some good luck with health got these teams here, and both will be tested in a bruising, stick-snapping, helmetless-hitting series.

Boston has the lead. It's Berube's turn to respond.

''They're going to do good things,'' Berube said. ''They're a good team and they're going to force us into bad situations and things like that, but we need more than that than we gave tonight.''

The Blues have to be satisfied with how they limited Marchand, Bergeron and Pastrnak's scoring chances at even strength, giving up only an empty netter to Marchand. Even the Bruins' power-play goal came with the second unit on the ice. But the Blues know they won't be able to hold down Boston's top line forever, so the onus is on defensemen like Colton Parayko and Jay Bouwmeester to keep this up.

And the Bruins' biggest stars understand that despite the contributions from unlikely sources, they need to produce.

''We know we have to get better as a line,'' Pastrnak said.

If Berube prefers power against power, which contributed to goals by Schenn and Tarasenko, he also might need to make some changes to tackle Boston's ability to get goals from its entire lineup.

Kuraly had just two goals in the playoffs coming in and Clifton one, but after the Bruins tilted the ice and dominated from the second minute of the second period on, it seemed a matter of time until goaltender Jordan Binnington cracked.

Binnington was under siege as the Bruins outshot the Blues 30-12 in the final two periods. After stopping 83 of the 85 shots he faced in Games 5 and 6 of the Western Conference final and the first period Monday, he will need to be locked in as the series goes on.

''Stuff's going to happen, you got to handle it,' Binnington said. ''We'll regroup and prepare for the next game.''

Berube didn't blame Binnington and pointed to turnovers as the culprit. Add five penalties that gave the Bruins' playoff-leading power play too many chances, and the Blues have plenty to improve on.

''I think we can be even better,'' winger David Perron. ''We're going to have to be. We've shown that the other series - we got better and better as the series went on every game.''

The thing is, the Bruins likely will, too.

 

[Cnotes53]

Krug's old-school helmetless shift may be among NHL's last
May 28, 2019
By The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) Torey Krug worried afterward that his pregnant wife would not really like him flying down the ice and delivering a bone-crushing hit without a helmet on.

There wasn't anything he could do about it now.

Krug provided a signature moment of the Boston Bruins' 4-2 victory against the St. Louis Blues in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night. After getting his helmet ripped off in a tussle with David Perron he skated down the ice seconds later, racing 150 feet and absolutely drilling Robert Thomas with an open-ice body check.

The hit fired up the bench and the raucous crowd but it could be the last time a play like that ever happens. NHL general managers have endorsed a proposal that would require a player without a helmet to go to the bench instead of finishing his shift. The NHL Board of Governors has not yet voted on it.

''I'm sure my coach and my GM were hoping that I would just get off the ice at that point,'' Krug said. ''But that's hockey.''

Krug's old-school look flying down the ice with his lid still on the ice is a rare sight in the NHL, which put in a grandfathered helmet rule in 1979 and recently did the same with visors. Krug said first and foremost players need to take care of their heads, though with the Stanley Cup on the line, it wasn't really on his mind.

He was angry. And you wouldn't like Krug when he's angry.

''I was battling with their guy in front, got up without a helmet and wasn't too happy about it,'' Krug said. ''Just came down the ice and had a chance to make a hockey hit. And it turned out to be a good one. So it was big. Hopefully it gave the guys a boost on the bench, and the crowd obviously liked it.''

The hit came in the third period after Sean Kuraly's go-ahead goal, and fans erupted into a ''We want the Cup!'' chant after Krug laid out Thomas.

''That was awesome,'' teammate Marcus Johansson said. ''That was fun.''

Thomas paid the price for Perron making Krug mad, and the Blues weren't all that happy about the hit. Krug did skate a long way - he was catching up to the play - and while St. Louis coach Craig Berube said he didn't see the hit, some of his players took some exception to it.

''He came hard at Thomas,'' Blues forward Brayden Schenn said. ''I'm not sure if Thomas touched the puck or not. But it what is. Playoff hockey. We'll see how to handle it.''

Minutes after an emotional comeback victory, Krug flashed a smile about the fact he got a haircut a few days ago. Told of the planned rule change to make players go to the bench, Krug said simply, ''Then I'll go to the bench.''

Or maybe players will resist the rule change, which has already been instituted in the American Hockey League as a way to protect against head injuries.

''I'm not sure,'' said Radko Gudas, the NHL Players Association representative for the Philadelphia Flyers. ''If guys feel comfortable playing without a helmet, why wouldn't he?''

Krug is a 5-foot-9 defenseman accustomed to opponents trying to hit him at every turn and get under his skin, so there are few situations where he's not comfortable. He's far better known for putting the puck in the net than putting other players on the ice, but if Boston wins this series, Krug's helmetless shift will go down in hockey lore.

''Momentum swings, it gives your team a boost of energy,'' Krug said. ''I don't know what they were feeling on their bench, but if it pushes them back and catches them off-guard, then great for our team. But I think it gave our team energy and that's all you're trying to do out there is make little plays throughout the game that pushes your team in the right direction and that was one of them.''

 

[Cnotes53]

Wednesday?s 6-pack

? Jose Altuve had a setback in his injury rehab, now has problems in both legs.

? Byron Buxton (knee) left the Twins? game after crashing into the OF fence.

? Nationals? OF Victor Robles has been hit by a pitch four games in a row.

? Legalized sports betting was voted down in Louisiana Tuesday.

? Reds 11, Pirates 6? Derek Dietrich hit three home runs.

? Crowd in Tampa Bay Tuesday: 5,786. Don?t bitch when they move to Montreal.

Tweet of the Day
?I get booed everywhere I go. Great players get booed.?
Manny Machado, always very modest

Wednesday?s quiz
What three QB?s won Super Bowls playing for Joe Gibbs?

Tuesday?s quiz
Jacob deGrom is a really good pitcher, but the Mets are 16-25 in his last 41 starts.

Monday?s quiz
Steve Kerr played his college basketball at Arizona.

****************************

Wednesday?s List of 13: Mid-week musings??

13) 5-star Class of 2019 basketball recruit RJ Hampton announced Tuesday that he will skip college and will play professionally in Australia/New Zealand this season to prep for the 2020 NBA Draft. He reclassified from the ?20 class to 2019 earlier this spring with an eye on becoming eligible for the 2020 draft.

So this is a 6-5 guard who is supposed to be in a senior in high school, but who will travel all the way to Australia and play pro ball this season, then go to the NBA Draft when he could?ve been a freshman in college, in the 2020-21 season.

It is a free country, but sometimes you wish parents would let their kids be kids. It?ll be interesting to see how this works out, and if others follow his path.

12) Here are some guys who shunned college for playing overseas:

? Brandon Jennings has scored 7,801 points in nine seasons (14.1 ppg); he was a double-figure scorer and starter for the first six years of his career, and has earned around $41M total.

? Emmanuel Mudiay has scored 2,901 points in four NBA seasons, including 14.8 points per game for the Knicks; he?s earned around $14M so far.

? Three years ago, Terrance Ferguson skipped college to play pro ball in Australia; he?s played the last couple years for Oklahoma City, scoring 5.2 ppg in 20 mpg over 135 games, earning $3.9M for those two seasons.

? Jeremy Tyler played overseas in 2010, then scored 3.6 ppg in 9.9 mpg in 103 NBA games in three seasons. He still plays ball overseas; he made $2,396,488 in the NBA.

11) Yesterday, on the same day Bill Buckner passed away, the Twins called up a rookie pitcher named Devin Smeltzer, who then called one of his old coaches, former big league pitcher Woody Williams, to tell him the good news.

Back in 1993, when Williams got called up to the majors for the first time by Toronto. he was told by an instructor in the Blue Jays? organization. A guy named Bill Buckner.

10) Hitters who have come up with most men on base this season:
? Marcell Ozuna, StL- 173
? Xander Bogaerts, Bos- 171
? Rhys Hoskins, Phil- 161

9) Hitters who have knocked in highest %age of runners from 3rd base (minimum of 10 runners on 3rd base):
? Gio Urschela, NYY- 10-14 (71.4%)
? Eric Hosmer, SD? 8-12 (66.7%)
? Max Kepler, Minn- 10-16 (62.5%)

8) Hitters who have knocked in lowest %age of runners from 3rd base (minimum of 10 runners on 3rd base):
? John Hicks/Francisco Cervelli- 1-16 (6.25%)
? Martin Maldonado, KC- 1-14 (7.1%)
? Randal Grichuk, Tor- 2-19 (10.5%)

7) College basketball transfer portal:
? Joey Hauser jumps from Marquette to Michigan State.
? Sam Hauser jumps from Marquette to Virginia.

6) Baseball stuff:
? Tigers put 2B Josh Harrison (hamstring) on IL.
? Angels put 3B Zach Cosart (shoulder) on IL.
? Twins put P Michael Pineda (knee) on IL.

5) Phillies? OF Odubel Herrera was placed on administrative leave by MLB after he was arrested on a domestic violence charge in Atlantic City Monday.

Very unusual for teams not to play on Memorial Day; I?m guessing Herrera wishes the Phillies had a game yesterday. This will wind up as a very expensive visit to Atlantic City.

4) When major league teams come to New York City, they get to explore a little, whether it be at MLB Network, or the Topps baseball card HQ, or other media outlets.

Bob Scanlan, a Padres broadcaster, posted a baseball card of a young Tony Gwynn playing for San Diego, but wearing number 53, not number 19. Looked like a spring training game.

3) Joe Gibbs got elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame last week; he is already in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, so that puts him in a unique place in sports history.

Gibbs won three Super Bowl titles with the Redskins, with three different QB?s.

2) Two TV series I wish hadn?t ended:
? Without a Trace was a show about finding missing people; Anthony LaPaglia played Jack Malone, a sarcastic FBI agent who led the unit, but who also had problems of his own. Just an excellent show; it still re-runs late night on cable.

? In Plain Sight used to be on USA Network; this show was about people re-located in the Witness Protection Program. They had some really good stories, there was a good mix of drama with some humor added in, but the show?s star got a better offer to be in a show on network TV, so she quit and the show ended. Too bad.

1) Speaking of late night TV, I see those Peloton exercise bike commercials and I want to trade my exercise bike in for one of those, since everyone on their commercials looks like an Olympic athlete. No overweight, bald people ride a Peloton; you think it would help? Nah, me either.

 

[Cnotes53]

Blues must try to slow down Bruins
May 28, 2019
By The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) Jake DeBrusk got a step on Robert Bortuzzo and he was off to the races.

Despite missing the net on the breakaway, the message was already sent.

Two minutes into the Stanley Cup Final, the Boston Bruins flashed the speed and skill that got them to this point and exploited it to beat the St. Louis Blues in the series opener. If the Blues have any hope in Game 2 Wednesday night and beyond, they will have to slow down the Bruins somehow, some way.

''There's different ways that you can wear guys down whether it's physicality or speed,'' DeBrusk said. ''That's the game now. That's how you have to play. It's just races to loose pucks and then playing physical when the opportunity presents itself.''

Game 1 will be remembered for 5-foot-9 Boston defenseman Torey Krug's helmetless hit on Robert Thomas, but the Bruins won because they came at the Blues in waves. They got contributions up and down the lineup and played a style that flustered St. Louis into turnovers and a 30-12 shot disadvantage in the final two periods.

The fact that 77.2 percent of teams that win Game 1 go on capture the Cup doesn't much matter to Blues coach Craig Berube and his players. The Blues, after all, climbed from last place in the NHL on Jan. 3 all the way to the final. They also responded well after a similar, sluggish start to the Western Conference final against San Jose.

Armed with that confidence, the Blues understand the key to earning a split in Boston is stunting their opponents' relentless rush.

''It's not feeding into their transition as much,'' center Ryan O'Reilly said. ''When we have an opportunity to put it behind them and play that 200-foot game, we need to because you give them the opportunities, they can move the puck real quick and they come at you full speed. It's not giving them any real easy opportunities.''

Boston's top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak had zero points at even strength , but in the end the Bruins didn't need them on the score sheet. Coach Bruce Cassidy credited team defense for Boston's eight-game playoff winning streak, the first in the NHL since the L.A. Kings in 2012 - just don't overlook how all the layers of offense can affect opponents.

''Usually the teams that are still left here are the teams that have that depth and four lines who can skate and wear teams down,'' Bruins center Charlie Coyle said. ''It's not just two, three lines doing that. It's every time a line's out there making something happen whether it's something little or scoring a big goal or playing solid defensively or wearing them down in their own end. That's hard to play against through four continuous lines.''

Maybe a game-winner and primary assist from fourth-line forward Sean Kuraly and a goal by third-pairing defenseman Connor Clifton wasn't in the script, but the Bruins' depth was no secret coming into the series. Neither was the potency of its power play, which cashed in on the fourth of five St. Louis penalties in Game 1 and is always a threat to score.

Getting back to discipline is one necessary ingredient for St. Louis, as is limiting turnovers. The Blues want to turn the tables on the Bruins and make them defend instead of cranking up the offense.

''We need a lot more O-zone time,'' Berube said. ''They're a good forecheck team. They pressure, they've got good speed, they're a well-structured hockey team. Our puck support wasn't very good in the second and third period and puck play in general. Just too many turnovers. We need better support, better puck play.''

Cassidy and his staff figured out after the first intermission that Boston could skate wide around the Blues' bigger defense and create scoring chances that way. Now it's on Berube and his blue liners to close off that avenue to the net - which is easier said than done.

''They obviously have a lot of skilled players: They're small and fast and they make plays,'' Blues defenseman Colton Parayko said. ''Trying to eliminate them from getting to speed just coming out of their D-zone is obviously crucial. If we can eliminate our blue line from them and allow them to carry it in over our blue line, that's a big thing.''

NOTES: Berube said D Vince Dunn, who missed the past four games after taking a puck to the face last round, has a chance to play in Game 2. ... The Bruins are expected to go with the same lineup as Game 1.

 

[Cnotes53]

G Rask the key to Bruins' Cup success
May 28, 2019
By The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) Tuukka Rask first caught coach Bruce Cassidy's attention as a hot-headed minor leaguer who was throwing milk crates onto the ice when things didn't go his way.

These days, the Bruins goalie is much more likely to shrug off a mistake than break his stick over a crossbar.

''I just think he's been real calm for a while now, on and off the ice, really even-keeled,'' Cassidy said Tuesday, a day after Boston beat St. Louis 4-2 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. ''He's gotten upset ... but he always gets it right back. That's typically Tuukka.''

The Bruins are three wins away from their second NHL title this decade, and Rask is a big reason why. After a so-so regular season that had backup Jaroslav Halak challenging for his job - and many fans calling for the team to make the change - the unflappable Finn has gotten better even when the strain of the playoffs seems to be wearing everyone else down.

He has given up three or more goals just three times this postseason, and he finished off the last two rounds with shutouts that have dropped his goals-against average to 1.85. He is well on his way to becoming the first goalie to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP since 2012.

For a different view of the goalie, Cassidy suggested viewing Rask's viral hissy fit after losing a 2009 AHL game in a shootout on a goal that he thought hit the crossbar. Rask took his stick to the net like an axe, then flung it across the rink as he skated off; when he got to the tunnel, he found a milk crate that also found its way back to the ice.

Rask doesn't do that anymore. He has matured and he also realized it was fruitless.

''It doesn't do anything'' to lose your temper, he said Tuesday, his arms crossed and his shoulders in what seemed like a permanent shrug.

Instead, he has been able to put mistakes or bad luck behind him, and Cassidy said that was the turning point after St. Louis opened a 2-0 lead in the opener.

''You want to have that to not let games get away from you,'' the coach said. ''There's always, in games every night, where things can get away from you. Typically, you need your goalie to make the next save when it is 2-0.''

Rask did that.

And he also made every save after. (Though there weren't that many: The Blues were outshot 18-3 in the second period, and 38-20 overall.)

''Everybody has to pull their load. That's the only way you can win,'' Rask said. ''Individuals can have performances in certain games and turn the tide, but at the end of the day it's a team sport and everybody needs to pull along and that's why we've been successful.''

Although Rask won the 2014 Vezina Trophy and is the career leader in save percentage and goals-against average among active goalies, Bruins fans have resisted embracing him.

He was in net when the Bruins blew a 3-0 lead to the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2010 playoffs, and when the Bruins won it all the next season he was Tim Thomas' backup. Thomas was gone and Rask was the starter two years later when they went back to the Cup final, but the Bruins lost to the Chicago Blackhawks after Rask allowed two goals in the last 76 seconds of the sixth and clinching game.

The next year, Rask was the league's top goalie.

But the Bruins hadn't been able to sniff much playoff success again until this year. Although the regular season was one of his worst - his goals-against average was 2.48, his second-highest as a regular - he played in only 46 games. He said the rest is paying off now.

''I think there's a big difference when you play 45 or 65 games,'' he said. ''You don't have that time to get the rest that you kind of want to.''

Rask's name is already on the Stanley Cup with the 2011 team, and he said the accomplishment is not diminished by the fact that he didn't appear in the postseason.

''Everybody in the room has a role,'' he said. ''I played a lot of games in the regular season and then didn't play a second in the playoffs. But for us, it didn't matter if you played or you didn't play. If you're a seventh (defenseman), eighth D-man, backup goalie, you were still doing something to contribute. It was great. You need that.''

That's part of his message to his younger teammates who are in the final for the first time: Don't waste the opportunity, and don't forget to enjoy it.

And don't let your emotions take over.

''On the ice, it's a game and you just try to keep your nerves as calm as possible, I guess,'' he said. ''Experience helps on that.''

 

[Cnotes53]

3St Louis -4 Boston
ST LOUIS are 23-7 ATS (16 Units) against good passing teams - averaging 5 or more assists per game in the 2nd half of the year in the current season.

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NHL
Dunkel

Wednesday, May 29

St. Louis @ Boston

Game 3-4
May 29, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
12.916
Boston
14.857
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
-160
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-160); Over

************************************


NHL
Long Sheet

Wednesday, May 29

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ST LOUIS (57-34-0-11, 125 pts.) at BOSTON (62-29-0-9, 133 pts.) - 5/29/2019, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 41-20 ATS (+3.4 Units) second half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 14-2 ATS (+10.4 Units) in home games in non-conference games this season.
BOSTON is 29-11 ATS (+10.6 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
BOSTON is 37-22 ATS (+4.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 24-14 ATS (+6.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 42-23 ATS (+10.4 Units) second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 126-104 ATS (+231.8 Units) in road games after a non-conference game since 1996.
ST LOUIS is 279-199 ATS (+27.6 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
ST LOUIS is 17-11 ATS (+28.5 Units) in road games revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
ST LOUIS is 10-1 ATS (+8.8 Units) in road games after allowing 4 goals or more this season.
ST LOUIS is 36-24 ATS (+10.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 24-12 ATS (+11.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 4-3 (+0.5 Units) against the spread versus ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 4-3-0 straight up against ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.2 Units)

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NHL

Wednesday, May 29

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Trend Report
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St. Louis Blues
St. Louis is 5-10 ATS in its last 15 games
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of St. Louis's last 7 games
St. Louis is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
St. Louis is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of St. Louis's last 7 games on the road
St. Louis is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Boston
St. Louis is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Boston
St. Louis is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Boston
St. Louis is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Boston

Boston Bruins
Boston is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Boston is 6-12 ATS in its last 18 games at home
Boston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games at home
Boston is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing St. Louis
Boston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing St. Louis
Boston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Boston is 5-10-2 SU in its last 17 games when playing at home against St. Louis

 

[Cnotes53]

 

[Cnotes53]

Big or small, Bruins defense making it happen in playoffs
May 29, 2019
By The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) The Boston Bruins are a case study in extremes on the blue line.

There are some prototypical bruisers: At 6-foot-9 and 250 pounds, 42-year-old Zdeno Chara anchors Boston's first pairing and the 6-foot-5 Brandon Carlo is on the second line.

The rest of the defense? Take it down a notch: Torey Krug and Matt Grzelcyk are both just 5-9 and Connor Clifton is listed at 5-11.

Whatever they're doing, it's working: The Bruins defense and red-hot goaltender Tuukka Rask entered Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final allowing a playoff-best 1.94 goals per game through the first three rounds. Boston allowed the Blues to score twice, but after Vladimir Tarasenko cashed in a turnover one minute into the second period, Boston closed the door over the final 29 minutes of the game on the way to a 4-2 victory.

Charlie McAvoy, Chara's 6-foot linemate, said his team's skating and puck movement makes up for what it may not have across the board in height.

''I think this kind of new-school NHL, you don't need to be 6-5 anymore,'' McAvoy said. ''You can be Torey Krug and you can be a smaller, puck-moving guy who can outskate the forecheck and he uses his brain and Matt Grzelcyk - those guys skate. They're incredible skaters, so it starts with that ability, and then their hockey IQ is through the roof.''

It all helps to put them in ideal situations in which they can work together to get out of bad spots, McAvoy said.

''They find the middle of the ice, they find the available guys, they play off instinct and are able to almost dictate the pace of play just through skating,'' he said. ''It doesn't matter that they're not 6-5. They're able to close off plays in the corner based on skating and walling guys off.''

That doesn't mean the smaller guys can't deliver a blow when necessary.

Krug was the talk of Game 1 after he had his helmet knocked off, then got up, raced down the ice and toppled Robert Thomas with an open-ice body check .

Krug said the play hopefully was an example of the Bruins following through on one of the things they talk about prior every game.

''Just doing whatever the game needs,'' Krug said. ''We show up in critical moments. If the game needs a blocked shot, or a hit, or a good clean breakout pass - or you just need to ice the puck - we do whatever it takes. We just try to bring it.''

Coach Bruce Cassidy said he encourages that kind of intensity.

''The hit presented itself, he took it, but clean,'' Cassidy said of Krug. ''From my angle, no helmet and the way it went - yeah, it was old school. I thought it was a good energy boost for our team.''

While youth shined in Game 1, the glue of Boston's defense is clearly Chara, a seven-time All-Star and member of Boston's 2011 Cup team. He's been nothing short of ageless this postseason, appearing in 17 of the Bruins' 18 games during this run. He's also willingly embraced a mentor role for his younger teammates.

He said Tuesday he has drawn inspiration from another Boston athlete with plenty of mileage - and plenty of success: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who is 41.

Brady did a voice over for a Bruins hype video that Chara posted on Instagram that ends with Chara repeating its tagline: ''We are made for this.''

''It's no secret that he's one of those world athletes that everybody looks up to,'' Chara said of Brady. ''He's been very successful at what he does and how he prepares himself. ... I only have great experiences talking to him.''

Like Brady, Chara said that there was a recognition that he needed to adjust his game to compete at his age.

''You gotta be a little bit ahead of the game as far as seeing what's happening with the players coming in and how skilled they are,'' Chara said. ''If you're not then you're gonna be way behind. ... The game got a lot faster than in the late 90s. ... But I think if you work hard on your game and work hard to be better you can play a long time and in any type of game.''

 

[Cnotes53]

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

STL at BOS 08:00 PM

BOS -167

O 5.5

 

[T]

Hey Cnotes could you link me to that website, please?