Da Bum's 2018 NHL Picks/News/Trends/Best Bets - Thru The Stanley Cup !

[StarDust Bum]

Blues penalty kill has them close to Cup
June 7, 2019
By The Associated Press

Something is missing from Boston's power play.

The uninterrupted puck movement and cross-ice passes to a wide-open David Pastrnak aren't there anymore. Torey Krug isn't getting the chance to fire away from the top. Patrice Bergeron isn't dominating between the faceoff circles like before.

Boston rode its power play to a 2-1 lead in the Stanley Cup Final. Since then, the St. Louis Blues have shut out the most effective power-play unit in more than 30 years and held the Bruins' best players in check, too. The Blues' power play has been nothing special, but their penalty kill is a major reason why St. Louis has won two straight to earn a chance to claim the first NHL championship in franchise history at home Sunday night in Game 6.

St. Louis has gone from being the playoffs' least-penalized team through three rounds to something else entirely. The Blues are borderline undisciplined, relying on targeted toughness to beat up and disrupt the Bruins. It's working. Since allowing six power-play goals early in the final and letting the Bruins go 4-for-4 on four shots in Game 3, the Blues have made five successful penalty kills.

Suddenly Boston's most valuable weapon is quiet.

''We're staying tight to each other,'' Blues penalty killer Oskar Sundqvist said. ''We're not letting them pass through the seams and shoot from the top and things like that. We're making it harder on them and keeping them on the outside. We just need to keep doing the same thing and we're probably going to be fine if we do that.''

Not just fine. If this keeps up, they could be Stanley Cup champions.

Game 3 was such an eye-opener of how good Boston's power play is that many wondered if the Bruins were just going to steamroll the Blues and win the series in five games. But Sundqvist was suspended that game and goaltender Jordan Binnington has shown serious resolve since then. Blues coach Craig Berube also has made adjustments to counter Boston coach Bruce Cassidy's special teams.

''They really like using seam passes and things like that, and I thought we were tight and doing a good job with our sticks and doing a real good job on our stand at the blue line on their breakouts and breaking plays up,'' Berube said.

Boston's power play had been converting over 30% - a clip that could have been the second-highest all-time for a Cup champion - and was drawing comparisons to the New York Islanders' 1980s dynasty that featured Mike Bossy, Denis Potvin, Clark Gillies and Bryan Trottier.

''Back then it was more drop-off, backdoor, overload ... a lot more point shots,'' Cassidy said. ''Little more low-to-high driven net-on-net, whereas now I think you see a lot more power plays, certainly always the half wall is a big thing. But I would guess more net-front tips, rebounds back then. Now it's more one-timer, seam passes.''

Krug considers Cassidy a power-play mastermind, and that will be tested with the Bruins facing elimination Sunday for the first time since Game 7 in the first round against Toronto.

''I think in zone, they've been tight,'' Cassidy said of the Blues. ''Either got to stretch them out to get some seams or we got to be less stubborn, then get a net presence and take the shot that's available with that net presence. Maybe stretch them out off of puck recovery. A little bit is on us to make sure - `us' the staff - and it's on the players to make the right decision at the right moment in time.''

Getting the power play righted is key to staving off elimination. And it's not just about scoring because the power play fuels the Bruins' 5-on-5 offense, and even that's not happening right now.

''Any time you don't get chances on the power play, you're going to get frustrated,'' Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo said. ''So we're just doing our job.''

St. Louis has done a much better job at maintaining defensive assignments on the penalty kill after inexplicably leaving skill players open in Game 3. Seemingly dumbfounded by Boston's power play that night, the Blues have begun to turn the tide on faceoffs on special teams and figured out how create their own penalty-killing momentum.

''Just staying aggressive,'' Pietrangelo said. ''That's all. Staying aggressive and we're getting the puck down when we have a chance to clear.''

Closing down the Bruins' power play has compensated for a series-long parade to the penalty box by the Blues. If it continues, St. Louis could soon be hosting its first professional sports championship parade since baseball's Cardinals won the World Series in 2011.

''We've got a big job ahead of us,'' Berube said. ''I try to keep everything in perspective and calm and cool as much as I can. It's hard. And it's hard for the players, too, but it's important that we keep our heads and keep level headed knowing we've got a big job ahead of us for Game 6.''

Berube will be without forward Ivan Barbashev after he was suspended by the NHL for one game for an illegal check to the head of Bruins forward Marcus Johansson during Game 5.

The 23-year-old Barbashev has played in each of the Blues' 24 playoff games this year. He has three goals and three assists in the postseason.

[StarDust Bum]

Chara, Dunn join jaw-dropping club
June 7, 2019
By The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) Barry Melrose strapped on a fiberglass contraption that made him look like Hannibal Lecter. Rick Tocchet figured he looked more like Darth Vader.

Zdeno Chara resembled Batman villain Bane with his full face shield when he played Thursday night, 48 hours after the Boston captain took a puck square to the face. The same thing happened to Vince Dunn and he has so many wires in his mouth during the Stanley Cup Final that the St. Louis defenseman would probably set off a metal detector.

Playing through a severe injury is something of a hockey tradition, but the jawbreakers' club is a smaller group. Four decades after Melrose did it, 27 years since Tocchet and 20 years since Jeremy Roenick gritted their teeth through broken jaws in playoff hockey, Chara and Dunn offer a fresh reminder of how much players will sacrifice for a chance to lift the Stanley Cup.

''Pain is temporary and pride is forever,'' Roenick said. ''They'll remember you for what you did. The pain is going to go away, and you're going to forget that you even had that pain.''

Chara is still unable to talk much after taking the puck off the stick of the Blues' Brayden Schenn on Monday night. Through the Bruins, Chara said he didn't think about making it worse or consider himself any different from teammates with other injuries. He played 16:42 in Boston's Game 5 loss that left the Bruins a game from elimination in the final.

Tocchet empathizes with Chara after an errant shot by Pittsburgh Penguins teammate Mario Lemieux in 1992 cracked him in the jaw. He decided to keep playing rather than sit out the projected six weeks.

''I knew the ramifications, but I knew the reward if I could get through this thing,'' Tocchet said. ''Obviously we won the Cup, so it was a great move by me.''

Had the '92 Penguins not won? Tocchet simply said: ''No regrets.''

Dunn missed almost three weeks after taking a puck to the mouth from San Jose's Brenden Dillon in the Western Conference final and dealing with concussion symptoms.

After coming back in Game 4 - the same game Chara went down - Dunn feels like he has a mouth guard in at all times and hasn't been able to eat much solid food. Keeping weight on and digesting enough nutrients is something the jawbreakers' club knows all about.

Tocchet's mom came down to Pittsburgh after he broke his jaw and made all his meals in a blender.

''The first two weeks, 10 days, it was hard to chew,'' Tocchet said. ''You couldn't really move your jaw.''

Dunn felt like that. Asked recently if Dunn was talking any better, captain Alex Pietrangelo flashed a smile and said: ''Yeah. His teeth are coming in.''

Those teeth aren't all in the right places, so Dunn's smile was a little broken but beaming after his return. Even if he keeps getting smacked in the mouth.

''I got a stick in the face second shift again,'' Dunn said Monday following Game 4. ''Nothing is going well for my face right now. It's whatever right now. It's an amazing time of the year. Things are going to happen that way.''

Things happen, go play hockey. That was Melrose's approach back in 1979 when he played for Winnipeg two days after breaking his jaw in three places.

''When I got hit, all my teeth were shoved under my tongue and the doctor had to pull the teeth out,'' Melrose said, explaining his four-hour tour in a dentist's chair. ''As long as you can't hurt it, it can't hurt you, and you just play with the pain.''

Tocchet missed nine days after the misfire from ''Super Mario.'' He came back and even fought Kris King and Kevin Hatcher with his jaw in pieces.

''Scotty Bowman wasn't too happy with me,'' Tocchet said. ''It's not that I didn't care. It's the heat of the moment. You're just doing it.''

Roenick sat out three weeks in 1999 after a check from Derian Hatcher gave him three ''clean'' breaks in his jaw during a playoff game. That was the easy one. Five years later in a regular-season game, a shot from Boris Mironov shattered his jaw in 23 places.

''That is a totally different kind of one to have to come back from,'' said Roenick, who's at the final as an NBC Sports analyst.

The players say one of the toughest parts of playing through a broken jaw is not being able to breathe correctly. Tocchet said it's more difficult to get back to a regular heart rate and catch your breath after a shift.

''When you're wired and your teeth are slammed shut, it's really hard to get air in between your teeth,'' Roenick added. ''There's little breathing ways that you can do when you're slammed shut - breathing like Popeye breathing, breath inside the back of your mouth and not through the front of it. But to get oxygen, it's really hard. You find yourself sometimes gasping for as much air as you possibly can.''

[StarDust Bum]

Game 6 - Bruins at Blues
June 7, 2019
By Bookmaker
by Kyle Markus

Stanley Cup Finals Game 6 Preview
Boston Bruins at St. Louis Blues

The St. Louis Blues pulled off a shocker in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals, and now go home with a chance to clinch the championship. St. Louis was the underdog heading into this series but has a 3-2 lead heading into the all-important Game 6.

The Bruins are the more talented team so they will still be confident they can claim victory and head home for a do-or-die series finale. The Blues hope it doesn’t get that far and they will be the favorites to win Game 6 in NHL wagering.

Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals will feature the St. Louis Blues vs. the Boston Bruins at 8:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 9th, 2019. The Blues will host the matchup at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri and it will be nationally televised on NBC.

We'll have NHL odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals.

Odds Analysis

St. Louis is listed at -141 on the moneyline to win this game and claim the Stanley Cup. The Bruins are heading in as the +108 underdogs to win Game 6. The goal total is listed at five despite a low-scoring affair in Game 5.

Last Time Out

Ryan O’Reilly and David Perron each scored goals and Jordan Binnington did a great job in goal with 39 saves as the Blues upset the Bruins with a 2-1 win in Game 5. O’Reilly scored in the second period and St. Louis went ahead 2-0 on Perron’s score. The Bruins pulled back within a goal when Jake DeBrusk found the net in the third period, but they could not score again.

Boston had way more shots than St. Louis but couldn’t capitalize on the vast majority of the chances. The Bruins pulled their goalie with about a minute to go and had several shots in the frantic final moments but could not tie the game. St. Louis has now won two straight games in the Stanley Cup Finals to get on the cusp of a championship.

Injury Report

Bruins captain Zdeno Chara suffered a broken jaw in Game 4 but he still was able to play in Game 5 despite the pain. Chara was one of the most used defensemen on the team, finishing with 16 minutes played. He wore a full face mask on the ice but didn’t finish with a goal or an assist as the Boston offense was held in check. He finished with a negative-1 plus/minus as St. Louis scored when he was on the ice.

While the injury is a serious one, Chara did not seem hindered and should be good to go for this Game 6 matchup. His presence is certainly a boost for the Bruins.

Free NHL ATS Picks

The Blues are heading home and have all the momentum, but in truth they were pretty lucky to come away with the victory in Boston. The Bruins need to get off to a strong start because if they fall behind, the St. Louis crowd is going to be whipped into a frenzy.

Boston has the superior firepower on offense and a player like Patrice Bergeron could help it get ahead early. If the Bruins can withstand the Blues’ energy early on they should be able to win this game and send it back to Boston for a do-or-die Game 7. This has been a fantastic series and it will go the distance with Boston claiming Game 6 in NHL wagering.

Game 6 Best Bet: Boston Bruins 4, St. Louis Blues 2

[StarDust Bum]

Lineup shuffling benefits Blues in Cup
June 8, 2019
By The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) Had Oskar Sundqvist not gotten suspended and Robert Thomas ruled out with a nagging injury, Zach Sanford might never have gotten a chance to show his stuff on hockey's biggest stage.

If Vince Dunn not taken a puck to the mouth during the last round, Robert Bortuzzo might not have had the chance to score a key goal in the Stanley Cup Final.

This is the magic of the St. Louis Blues in the playoffs and even more specifically their series against the Boston Bruins. They've dressed a lottery ball machine amount of lineup combinations this postseason and because of suspensions and injuries in the final will have their sixth different lineup in six games.

Instead of interrupting continuity that's usually paramount in the playoffs, the Blues' game of musical jerseys with players in and out of the lineup has given them a variety of looks for the Bruins to contend with and contributed to St. Louis being on the verge of winning the Stanley Cup.

''You never want to see guys get suspended or go down with an injury,'' forward Patrick Maroon said Saturday. ''But Zach Sanford, Sammy Blais and Robby Fabbri have done a really good job filling in. Thomas was playing until he went out. They've been here all year, and they know what it takes to win.''

Maroon is one of only 12 skaters plus goaltender Jordan Binnington to play in all 24 of St. Louis' playoff games so far. That number will dip to 11 with Ivan Barbashev suspended and the very real possibility Thomas is ready to return after missing the past four games with what's believed to be a hand/wrist injury.

Injury attrition can take its toll this time of year, something the San Jose Sharks found out when the Blues eliminated them without Erik Karlsson, Joe Pavelski and Tomas Hertl. The Blues have kept on chugging through the injuries and gotten impressive performances from players shuffling in and out of the lineup like Bortuzzo or returning off a long layoff like Sanford and Fabbri.

Barbashev isn't available for Game 6, and coach Craig Berube said other decisions will be made closer to puck drop. Top-line forward Vladimir Tarasenko and bottom-six grinder Alex Steen are expected to play after missing practice for maintenance, but there are other questions about who's in and out and St. Louis won't have much of a drop-off either way.

''We have good depth, which is very important on the back end and up front,'' Berube said. ''A guy like Sanford coming in and doing a good job for us after being out for some time, and Sammy Blais, just different guys. It's really important.''

Sanford has had some significant jump in his legs the past three games after sitting out six weeks as a healthy scratch. Dunn showed little rust from missing almost three weeks before getting back in for Game 4.

And there has been no pouting from guys like Bortuzzo and fellow defenseman Joel Edmundson trading places on the ice and in the press box.

''There's been different circumstances for different things,'' Bortuzzo said. ''You're going to get in there and you're going to be excited to play. You're going to be refreshed regardless of what's going on.''

The Blues had already done a strong job in the first three rounds of wearing down opponents as series dragged on, and they're in the process of doing the same to Boston. They play the same style, but the Bruins never seeing the same St. Louis team twice in a playoff series that usually breeds familiarity and contempt makes it even more difficult to prepare.

Boston could dress its same lineup from Game 5 because forward Noel Acciari is expected to play after leaving in the third period Thursday and Marcus Johansson had no lingering effects from the hit on him Barbashev was suspended for.

While the Bruins promoted Johansson to their top power-play unit to get that unit going, the Blues have to adjust without Barbashev, who's a key penalty killer.

''He's physical for us,'' forward Brayden Schenn said. ''He does a good job on the PK, scoring some goals. We can't worry about him being out. You've got to worry about someone else stepping up, stepping in and filling his role.

That has been key to the Blues' run the past two months, in large part because of injuries and Berube shaking things up with coach's decisions for performance. The suspensions of Sundqvist and now Barbashev forced Berube's hand even more, but it hasn't led the Blues to abandon their bruising approach.

''If that was a thing, then we'd have slowed down on our physical game and that's not us,'' Carl Gunnarsson said. ''I think we've just got to keep on going, just going to keep it clean and keep doing what we're doing.''

[StarDust Bum]

Game 6 of Cup could hinge on officiating
June 8, 2019
By The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) Patrick Maroon doesn't want to go there. Not even about how the St. Louis Blues handle the roller coaster of inconsistent officiating.

''I'm not talking about it,'' the usually talkative Maroon said. ''If you want to talk about Game 6, I'll talk about Game 6.''

Except the St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins are so tight that Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final is absolutely in danger of hinging on officiating. It might not necessarily be a missed call like the one that helped the Blues win Game 5 and put them on the verge of winning the Cup - it could simply be how much leeway the referees give the Blues and Bruins in the next chapter of what has been a series of big hits and more than a little animosity.

''It's tough to say,'' Blues coach Craig Berube said. ''It's important for our team to just deal with it.''

Berube and Boston coach Bruce Cassidy have voiced their displeasure to the referees at various points, which is no surprise given this has been the postseason of officiating mishaps. Changes are very likely coming to video review and how the NHL handles these situations moving forward, but none of that will affect the Blues and Bruins on Sunday night, when the Stanley Cup could get wheeled onto the ice for a celebration or put on a plane back to Boston for Game 7.

''We're going to focus on playing the game,'' Berube said. ''It goes both ways. There's calls either way that could be made, and some are made and some aren't made.''

It has gone every which way. Vegas was on the wrong end of an incorrect major penalty that contributed to losing Game 7 to San Jose in the first round; the Blues lost to the Sharks in overtime in Game 3 of the Western Conference final on a missed hand pass violation and St. Louis benefited from a stunning non-call on Tyler Bozak tripping Noel Acciari in Game 5 against Boston.

Even before the missed tripping call, Game 5 alone was a study in how fast the game has gotten and how even the best referees in the world miss what should be obvious penalties. Blues forward Ivan Barbashev's illegal check to the head of Bruins forward Marcus Johansson wasn't penalized that night, though it drew a suspension for Game 6, and St. Louis' Zach Sanford got an elbow up on Boston's Torey Krug that went uncalled.

''You're going to get calls where you like them or you don't like them, throughout the whole playoffs if not throughout the whole season, so you don't really worry about the officiating,'' Blues forward Brayden Schenn said Saturday. ''It's just wasting energy. Those guys are the best at what they do. They have a tough job. So I don't think you worry about calls going your way or against you.''

There have been enough gaffes in all four rounds that no team can reasonably think the officials are biased against them. Mistakes happen, of course, even if that doesn't make it sting any less after a blown call contributes to a loss.

A frustrated Cassidy declared after Game 5 that ''The National Hockey League's getting a black-eye with their officiating in these playoffs.''

It's enough of an issue Commissioner Gary Bettman addressed it in his annual state of the league speech prior to Game 1. He said expanded video review will be a topic of discussion this offseason with input from general managers, the competition committee and the Officials Association.

''No one should doubt that we want to get it right,'' Bettman said May 27. ''This is not an excuse. We're not whining about it. It's simply a recognition of a challenge which we will address sensibly, appropriately and in the best interest of the game.''

It's too late for Vegas, but it's not too late for Boston to overcome a missed call like St. Louis did with the hand pass. Just don't expect it to be used outwardly as a rallying cry.

''It's not going to be brought up in the locker room,'' Cassidy said. ''Our play should define us, not a call. It will be part of the message.''

Knowing what it's like to bounce back from feeling as if they were cheated out of a victory could help the Blues understand the Bruins' psychology. But mostly they expect their opponent to go all out to avoid elimination and keep the series going.

''I think the big motivation for them has got to be they're down 3-2,'' Blues defenseman Carl Gunnarsson said. ''Regardless of the call or not, we won the game and they're going to come in here being down. I think they're going to be a desperate team. They have to be. That's what we expect. They're going to come out full blast, and we've just got to be expecting that.''

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

College football spreads for games on Nov 2:

— Miami @ Florida State (-1.5)

— Houston @ Central Florida (-14)

— Georgia (-3.5) vs Florida (@ Jacksonville)

— Virginia Tech @ Notre Dame (-16)

— Oregon (-1) @ USC

— Utah @ Washington (-8)


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Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: Wrapping up a summer Saturday

13) I’m probably a little late with this, but if you like music, A Star Is Born is an outstanding movie and I highly recommend it. Saw it this weekend; I’ve never seen the Kris Kristofferson version from 1976 or the much older version, but Bradley Cooper/Lady Gaga had great chemistry. Not that pleasant a movie, but really well done and great acting.

12) Indiana-Kentucky high school All-Stars have a game every year; Indiana won this year’s game 120-74- a kid named Jake LaRavia of Lawrence Central apparently dominated the game.

Writer Gregg Doyle did nothing but rave about the 6-8 LaRavia, who will attend Indiana State in the fall. He made 42% of his 3’s last year in high school, but Doyle says his game is well-rounded and that the Sycamores should be very excited to have him on their side next year.

11) Texas Rangers retired Adrian Beltre’s number 29 Saturday night; little unusual for a team to retire a guy’s number so soon after he retires. Quite an honor.

10) Angels 12, Mariners 3—Seattle’s Yusei Kikuchi had a 3.43 ERA through his first 11 starts; in his last 9.2 IP, he’s allowed 29 hits and 17 runs. No bueno.

9) Raptors’ G Fred VanVleet needed seven stitches and lost part of a tooth in Friday night’s win in Oakland; he collided with Golden State’s Shaun Livingston.

8) Baseball can be weird; Minnesota’s Max Kepler was in an 0-21 slump, but then Thursday, he went 4-4 wth three homers against Trevor Bauer. Go figure.

7) Baseball stuff:
— Red Sox put 1B Mitch Moreland (quad) on IL.
— Pirates activated OF Corey Dickerson from the 60-day IL.
— Cardinals placed 3B Jedd Gyorko on the 10-day (back)
— Padres placed RHP Adam Warren on the 10-day IL (forearm)
— Angels put Trevor Cahill (elbow) on the IL.

6) Not only is the Giants’ Brandon Crawford the oldest starting shortstop in the majors, he is the one of only two starting SS’s (Elvis Andrus) who is 30+ years of age.

5) NBA will have two regular season games in Mexico next season; Mavericks-Pistons will play on December 12, with Suns-Spurs meeting two days later.

4) Brothers CJ and Kevin Cron both hit their first major league homer in Toronto; their father Chris Cron his two major league hits, both in Toronto.

3) Vanderbilt 3, Duke 0— Kid named Kumar Rocker threw a no-hitter, struck out 19 for Vandy; it is funny how Vanderbilt is lousy at football, mediocre at basketball but great at baseball. Young Mr Rocker is a freshman, has quite a future ahead of him.

2) Oregon State C Adley Rutschman is said to be the best draft prospect since Bryce Harper in 2010 and he is the best catching prospect since Buster Posey in 2008. He’s a switch-hitter with power, and he’s a very advanced receiver, but here’s the thing:

When you’re a really good hitter and a team invests a ton of money in you, they might want you to change positions, to maximize your career— catchers tend to fade out earlier, but to wear and tear. Rutschman may be learning other positions as he climbs the Orioles’ minor league ladder.

1) Quote of the Day, part 2:
“He’s not the biggest guy, but he definitely walks with a presence, walks with a purpose. He’s taken on a good role in knowing all the plays and being able to call some plays for us. He’s quicker than snot. He’s been flying around and making a lot of good plays.”

Steelers’LB TJ Watt, talking about first round pick, LB Devin Bush

[StarDust Bum]

[StarDust Bum]

Game 6 - Bruins at Blues
Kyle Markus

Boston Bruins at St. Louis Blues

The St. Louis Blues pulled off a shocker in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals, and now go home with a chance to clinch the championship. St. Louis was the underdog heading into this series but has a 3-2 lead heading into the all-important Game 6.

The Bruins are the more talented team so they will still be confident they can claim victory and head home for a do-or-die series finale. The Blues hope it doesn’t get that far and they will be the favorites to win Game 6 in NHL wagering.

Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals will feature the St. Louis Blues vs. the Boston Bruins at 8:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 9th, 2019. The Blues will host the matchup at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri and it will be nationally televised on NBC.

Odds Analysis

St. Louis is listed at -141 on the moneyline to win this game and claim the Stanley Cup. The Bruins are heading in as the +108 underdogs to win Game 6. The goal total is listed at five despite a low-scoring affair in Game 5.

Last Time Out

Ryan O’Reilly and David Perron each scored goals and Jordan Binnington did a great job in goal with 39 saves as the Blues upset the Bruins with a 2-1 win in Game 5. O’Reilly scored in the second period and St. Louis went ahead 2-0 on Perron’s score. The Bruins pulled back within a goal when Jake DeBrusk found the net in the third period, but they could not score again.

Boston had way more shots than St. Louis but couldn’t capitalize on the vast majority of the chances. The Bruins pulled their goalie with about a minute to go and had several shots in the frantic final moments but could not tie the game. St. Louis has now won two straight games in the Stanley Cup Finals to get on the cusp of a championship.

Injury Report

Bruins captain Zdeno Chara suffered a broken jaw in Game 4 but he still was able to play in Game 5 despite the pain. Chara was one of the most used defensemen on the team, finishing with 16 minutes played. He wore a full face mask on the ice but didn’t finish with a goal or an assist as the Boston offense was held in check. He finished with a negative-1 plus/minus as St. Louis scored when he was on the ice.

While the injury is a serious one, Chara did not seem hindered and should be good to go for this Game 6 matchup. His presence is certainly a boost for the Bruins.

[StarDust Bum]

11Boston -12 St Louis
ST LOUIS are 26-8 ATS (18.6 Units) against good passing teams - averaging 5 or more assists per game in the 2nd half of the year in the current season.




NHL
Dunkel

Sunday, June 9

Boston @ St. Louis

Game 11-12
June 9, 2019 @ 8:25 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
12.619
St. Louis
14.125
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-120
5
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(-120); Over




NHL
Long Sheet

Sunday, June 9

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BOSTON (63-31-0-10, 136 pts.) at ST LOUIS (60-35-0-11, 131 pts.) - 6/9/2019, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 62-64 ATS (-28.3 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 60-46 ATS (+4.0 Units) in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 45-24 ATS (+9.5 Units) second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 23-13 ATS (+9.1 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
ST LOUIS is 44-25 ATS (+12.1 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 39-25 ATS (+3.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 27-13 ATS (+13.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 27-9 ATS (+13.4 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 11-2 ATS (+8.4 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game this season.
BOSTON is 38-25 ATS (+6.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 0-5 ATS (-8.3 Units) in home games on Sunday games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 6-5 (+1.7 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 6-5-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.6 Units)

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NHL

Sunday, June 9

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Trend Report
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Boston Bruins
Boston is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games
Boston is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games
Boston is 11-1 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
Boston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 7 games on the road
Boston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing St. Louis
Boston is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
Boston is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Boston's last 11 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
St. Louis Blues
St. Louis is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
St. Louis is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games
St. Louis is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 games at home
St. Louis is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games at home
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Boston
St. Louis is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston
St. Louis is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 8 of St. Louis's last 11 games when playing at home against Boston

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Bruins vs Blues NHL betting picks and predictions: Don't declare Bruins dead just yet
Monty Andrews

Jordan Binnington's 38 saves were the difference in St. Louis' stunning 2-1 road victory in Game 5, and gives Binnington a rookie record-tying 15 wins in the postseason.

The St. Louis Blues are a win away from their first-ever Stanley Cup title – and if they hope to hoist hockey's most famous chalice in their own arena, they'll probably need another terrific performance from their unflappable rookie goaltender as they host the Boston Bruins in Game 6 on Sunday night.

Jordan Binnington's 38 saves were the difference in St. Louis' stunning 2-1 road victory in Game 5, and gives Binnington a rookie record-tying 15 wins in the postseason. But don't rule out Boston, which outshot the Blues 39-21 in its hard-luck Game 5 loss and already has a 7-2 win in St. Louis in this series.

BOSTON BRUINS AT ST. LOUIS BLUES (-115, 5)

QUICK-HITTER

Game 5 didn't produce a first-period goal, but it certainly wasn't for a lack of trying – particularly from the Bruins, who produced plenty of quality scoring chances but couldn't find paydirt. Boston had 17 of the 25 first-period shots in that one, with both sides coming up empty with the man advantage. Given that the Blues and Bruins combined for 11 first-period goals in the first four games of the series, we're optimistic that these teams will get back to putting goals on the scoreboard in the opening 20 minutes.

PREDICTION: Over 1.5 first-period goals (+120)

PERIOD BET

Binnington and the Blues were somehow able to fend off the Bruins' furious first-period charge in Game 5, but the B's have been a difficult team to contain in the early stages of the game, producing six first-period goals through the first five contests. And Boston has been generating plenty of opportunities in the early going, averaging nearly 13 first-period shots over their past three games after opening with back-to-back eight-shot first periods in the first two. We like the Bruins to score in the opening 20 minutes.

PREDICTION: Boston over 0.5 first-period goals (-120)

TEAM/PLAYER BET

At the risk of front-loading your Game 6 betting card, there's another solid value play in place if you assume, as we do, that the Bruins are a good option to score a first-period goal. We've already gone over the reasons why we believe this to be a compelling option, so why not shave 4 1/2 minutes off the end of the opening frame and take the Bruins to score inside the game's first 15:30? If they come out as strongly as they did in Game 5, this prop has a decent chance of cashing.

PREDICTION: Boston first goal: Before 15:30 elapsed (+120)

FULL-GAME TOTAL

Recency bias is quite a thing. That 2-1 result in Game 5 has led to a half-goal drop in the Game 6 total, despite the fact that these teams combined to average 6.5 goals over the first four games of the best-of-seven. Binnington has been sensational, but still owns a pedestrian .898 save percentage at home in the postseason, and Boston has already shown itself capable of scoring in buckets against him. We favor these teams producing enough offense in Game 6 to convert the over on the alternate total of 5.5.

PREDICTION: Over 5.5 (+120)

FULL-GAME SIDE

The Blues will certainly welcome the opportunity to win their first Stanley Cup on home ice, and have been the superior team over the previous two games. But let's not forget that St. Louis has still been outscored at Enterprise Center for the postseason, boasting a minus-3 goal differential. They're also a dismal minus-30 in penalty minutes at home – and a lack of discipline against a lethal Boston power play could very well be their undoing. We're not quite ready to declare this series over.

PREDICTION: Boston -105

[StarDust Bum]

Tarasenko, Barbashev on verge of Cup
June 9, 2019
By The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) Slava Fetisov called Vladimir Tarasenko midway through the second round of the playoffs to deliver an important message.

''I said, `Listen, you've got a good chance to win this year, so you're gonna play 100 percent, maybe a little more,''' Fetisov recalled Friday. '''You get all your talents and your skill and you can win the Cup. And sometimes you think it's gonna be tomorrow in that opportunity but it's not.'''

Fetisov would know. He didn't defect from the Soviet Union until midway through his career, and it took until age 39 for him to lift the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 1997.

More than two decades since Fetisov and the ''Russian Five'' shattered the myth that NHL teams couldn't win with players from a nation unpopular in North America, the St. Louis Blues' Russian Two of Vladimir Tarasenko and Ivan Barbashev is one victory away from lifting the same Cup after being inspired by the generation of countrymen who endured so much to get there.

''They give us reasons to dream about it and maybe one day we can do the same thing,'' Tarasenko said.

How Fetisov, Sergei Fedorov, Vladimir Konstantinov, Slava Kozlov and Igor Larionov reached hockey's mountaintop is documented in the award-winning film "Russian Five" released Friday. It's co-produced by player agent Dan Milstein, who represents Barbashev, and tells the story of the first time in NHL history five Russian teammates took the ice at the same time.

Barbashev hasn't seen the film, but those in hockey know the tale well: Detroit seeing the Soviet Union as a source of untapped talent, putting defensemen Fetisov and Konstantinov and forwards Fedorov, Kozlov and Larionov together as one unit like the old Red Army teams and winning the Cup in 1997 by sweeping the big, tough Philadelphia Flyers that featured the ''Legion of Doom'' line.

Red Wings teammate and now Vegas coach Gerard Gallant says in the film that observers figured the Russian Five is ''gonna have to play the Canadian way. They're gonna have to toughen up.'' They heard plenty of criticism from the old guard, led by Canadian commentator Don Cherry who wondered, ''What is this, `Hockey Night in Canada' or `Hockey Night in Russia?'''

The Russian Five adapted to different rules in North America, and Tarasenko and Barbashev are perfect examples of the effects of that hybrid of skill and toughness. Barbashev is a hard-hitting forward - and his check to the head of Boston's Marcus Johansson actually led to him being suspended for Game 6 against the Boston Bruins on Sunday night - while Tarasenko has rounded out his 200-foot game to become even more difficult to stop.

''You learn you can't only stand waiting for the puck to come to you and score goals,'' Tarasenko said. ''You need to do more to help your team win the Cup.''

The Russian Five exemplified that. A car accident ended Konstantinov's career, leaving four to win the second of back-to-back titles in 1998 and an emotional scene of him getting the Cup on the ice in a wheelchair.

Since then, 15 of the 19 champions have had at least one Russian player, and last year Washington's Alex Ovechkin became the first Russian captain to win the Cup. Tarasenko is in the final for the first time and said he's never touched or even looked intentionally at the Stanley Cup, but he knows what winning it means.

''We don't really have a lot of NHL when we was growing up back home,'' Tarsenko said. ''But Washington guys won the Cup, too. So any Russian guy win the Cup, they bring it to Russia and see how excited their families or friends and people in their hometowns (are).''

Tarasenko and the Blues might not be here had Fetisov not given him a pep talk with them trailing the Dallas Stars 3-2 during the second round. Fetisov was paying attention to the NHL playoffs for the first time in a while and took it upon himself to reach out to Tarasenko to offer some advice.

''They was down in the series and I call him and we have good conversation: You talk about the game and what the Stanley Cup mean to the players,'' Fetisov said. ''Since this, he become a different player and I hope that's gonna help him to win the Cup.''

Tarasenko, 27, doesn't talk much on the phone this time of year aside from family, but it's a good thing he made an exception for the Hall of Fame defenseman. After recording no assists in his first 11 playoff games, Tarasenko has six goals and five assists for 11 points in his past 13 since talking to Fetisov.

Coach Craig Berube has noticed and been impressed by Tarasenko's hard work and competitiveness that often gets overlooked because of his sublime skill.

''He's a very good skater and he's using his speed and he's playing a physical game,'' Berube said. ''I know he's scoring goals, but watching him and how he's developed in the playoffs, in my opinion, throughout this year's playoffs, his physicality, skating and compete level, all the things, especially without the puck, too. He's doing a real good job of working extremely hard without the puck.''

The Russian Five together was able to play keep away with the puck. Tarasenko and Barbashev don't play that style with the Blues, but they fit well into the straightforward, north-south game that has made St. Louis so successful since being last in the NHL in early January.

Yet their success has made countless Russian players aim to win the Stanley Cup.

''I hope they come to the United States and Canada for the biggest prize in professional hockey, for the Stanley Cup,'' Fetisov said. ''And you see more and more guys fight and try to win the Cup. I'm very happy for them. The teams get more and more reliable on Russian players.''

Barbashev doesn't want to talk yet about he and Tarasenko joining the list of Russian players with their names on the Cup, though he does draw inspiration from what the Russian Five accomplished 22 years ago.

''Every time you look at those names who played in the NHL, the guys that won the Stanley Cup all together, it's just amazing,'' Barbashev said.

[StarDust Bum]

SUNDAY, JUNE 9
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

BOS at STL 08:00 PM

BOS +108

O 5.0

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Big, bad Bruins are back, force Cup Final Game 7 vs. Blues
June 9, 2019
By The Associated Press


ST. LOUIS (AP) Punch, counterpunch, Game 7.


Just when it looked like the Boston Bruins were down and out, they remembered they can throw their weight around, too. Boston showed it can play St. Louis' physical style of hockey and then some, and the Stanley Cup Final is tied at 3-3 with Boston headed home for Game 7 on Wednesday night.


How these two bruising teams will sort that out is anyone's guess, but the Bruins seem to be all done being bullied by the Blues.


In the wild pendulum swing this series has become, the Blues entered Game 6 Sunday with all the momentum. They had worn down the Bruins, solved their penalty-killing woes and shut down Boston's elite talent on the power play and at even strength.


Maybe not.


Jazzed up in front of frenzied fans hoping to celebrate the franchise's first championship, the Blues flashed more skill than size and physicality - the bread and butter of their game - and were met by a strong resistance from the big, bad Bruins. Boston benefited from referees Gord Dwyer and Chris Rooney letting both teams play without whistling every possible ticky-tack penalty.


The Blues' discipline issues resurfaced again and this time the Bruins cashed in and wrested away the momentum going home for Game 7. One key to Boston staving off elimination was getting the power play back on track, which it did with a 5-on-3 goal by Brad Marchand that should give that unit confidence.


Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy also should be feeling good after his questionable lineup decision turned out perfectly. He put Karlson Kuhlman in for his first action since April 30 because his skill better fit what he wanted than veteran grinder David Backes, and the rookie scored his first goal of the playoffs.


There will be more tactical adjustments moving forward because Cassidy and Blues coach Craig Berube have been trading moves in this chess match all series. The Blues will get key fourth-liner Ivan Barbashev back from a one-game suspension, and the Bruins might be able to bring back defenseman Matt Grzelcyk and forward Chris Wagner back from injuries.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY JUNE 12, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:08 PM St. Louis Blues Boston Bruins TD Garden


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DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

06/09/2019 2-0-0 100.00% +10.40
06/06/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -2.35
06/03/2019 1-1-0 50.00% +0.00
06/01/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.75
05/29/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -13.85
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..............24-33-1 .....42.10% -78.65


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BEST BETS:


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


06/09/2019..............1 - 0....................+5.40..................1 - 0................+5.00............+10.40
06/06/2019..............0 - 0................... +0.00................. 1 - 0................+5.00............+5.00
06/03/2019..............0 - 1....................-5.00...................1 - 0.................+5.00............+0.00
06/01/2019..............0 - 0....................+0.00..................1 -0.................+5.00.............+5.00
05/29/2019..............0 - 0....................+0.00..................0 - 1.................-5.50..............-5.50
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..................... 7 - 7.....................+2.70...................11- 17.................-38.50............-35.40

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday’s 6-pack

Odds for the US Open this weekend:

15-2: Brooks Koepka

8-1: Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy

9-1: Eldrick Woods

16-1: Patrick Cantlay, Jordan Spieth

22-1: Justin Rose

25-1: Jon Rahm, Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele

Quotes of the Day
“Playing for the Warriors is just like playing for Team USA. When you play in the Olympics, you don’t even enjoy it. There’s the anxiety of ‘We have to win. We can’t lose, or we can’t go back home.’ We talk about it on the Olympic team: ‘We can’t go back home without the gold medal, fellas. Got to lock in. Let’s lock in.’ Then once you win, it’s like, ‘Yeah, we got it, we can go back home. Yay, we won, but we were supposed to.’”
Andre Iguodala

Tuesday’s quiz
Dodger P Clayton Kershaw played center on his high school football team; which NFL QB was the QB on that high school team?

Monday’s quiz
Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game began in 1985.

Sunday’s quiz
Barbara Streisand co-starred with Kris Kristofferson in the 1976 version of A Star Is Born.

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Tuesday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but……

13) Warriors 106, Raptors 105— Toronto had a 6-point lead and the ball with 3:00 left, but couldn’t finish the job; Game 6 is in Oakland Thursday. Warriors were +6 in 12:00 with Kevin Durant on the floor; seriously doubt he plays again in this series.

12) Dallas Keuchel made his ’19 debut Monday, pitching for Rome in the Class A South Atlantic League; he allowed a single, a walk with nine strikeouts in seven scoreless innings.

11) Braves 13, Pirates 7— Josh Donaldson got drilled by a pitch in the first inning, the ump threw the pitcher out, and a high-scoring game broke out. Marte and Albies both homered twice in this game.

10) Former Auburn, Akron coach Terry Bowden is heading to the Clemson football staff as a 63-year-old graduate assistant; his brother Tommy was Clemson’s head coach for 10 years.

Bowden is going for a Master’s Degree in athletic leadership at Clemson, and his position on the staff is an unpaid graduate internship.

9) Auburn 14, North Carolina 7— Tigers advance to the College World Series; they scored 13 runs in the top of the first inning. Rough way for the season to end for UNC.

8) Wednesday’s Rangers-Red Sox game in Boston moves up from 7:00 to 4:00 because Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final is Wednesday night in Boston.

7) Baseball stuff:
— Pirates put P Jordan Lyles (hamstring) on IL.
— Cardinals put P Adam Wainwright (hamsring) on IL
— Angels’ P Matt Harvey aggravated his back injury on a rehab start.

6) Rained in New York City Monday night, so Subway Series will have a day/night twinbill on Tuesday, with games at 1:05, 7:05.

5) Tony Parker retired after 18 seasons in the NBA; he won four NBA titles with the Spurs.

4) Read online yesterday that El Cortez and Four Queens are last places in Las Vegas that deal low-limit single deck blackjack that still pays 3-2 on naturals. Most single deck games pay 6-5 now.

3) College basketball transfer portal:
— Grad transfer Isaiah Moss bolts from Iowa to Kansas.
— Grad transfer Tevin Mack bolts from Alabama to Clemson.
— F Eugene Omoruyi bolts from Rutgers to Oregon.

2) Arizona 13, Phillies 8— This was seventh time since 1914 that a team led off a game with three straight home runs; last time was in 2017, also the Diamondbacks.

Phillies’ Jerad Eickhoff didn’t allow a HR in any of his first five starts (30 IP); he’s allowed at least one homer in six straight starts (13 HR in last 24 1/3 IP).

1) Field for the College World Series is set:
Bracket One: Arkansas, Florida State, Michigan, Texas Tech.
Bracket Two: Auburn, Louisville, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt