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

[StarDust Bum]

Schwartz, Tarasenko have Blues close to Cup Final
May 20, 2019
By The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) Jaden Schwartz is on a scoring run that has the St. Louis Blues dreaming big.

Schwartz's hat trick in Game 5 on Sunday helped give the Blues a 3-2 series lead against the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference final and set the single-season franchise record for playoff wins.

The Blues could advance to their first Stanley Cup Final since 1970 when they host Game 6 Tuesday night.

''It's probably tough to put into words,'' Schwartz said. ''It's something that everyone's worked for and dreamed about. You don't want to look too far ahead. We all know how important and how hard that last win's going to be. It would be a dream come true.''

Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko have played huge roles in the Blues' playoff success. Just not necessarily in the way that was expected.

Tarasenko has come up with more big assists than goals against the Sharks.

Meanwhile, Schwartz has found a scoring touch that eluded him during the regular season. After scoring 11 goals in 69 regular-season games, Schwartz has 12 goals in 18 playoff games.

''He's obviously a tenacious player, a hard-working player,'' Blues coach Craig Berube said. ''I know, goal-wise, he didn't have a good regular season, but the work ethic was there and other things besides not producing with the goals.

''He's a 200-foot player for us and he's around the net for us, that's where he scores. His hard work, being relentless and staying with it is paying off.''

Schwartz's scoring run began on a quick pass from Tyler Bozak with 15 seconds left in regulation to snap a 2-2 tie in Game 5 in the first round against Winnipeg. He followed that up with a hat trick in Game 6 to send the Blues to the second round.

Schwartz is the first player to have two hat tricks in the same playoffs since Johan Franzen did it for Detroit in 2008 and he is the first to do it for the Blues.

Not bad for a guy who went 23 games without a goal during the regular season.

''He's obviously been kind of our engine and a guy that's scored huge goals for us throughout every series,'' Bozak said.

''Pucks weren't going in as much as he probably wanted in the regular season, but he was still playing really good hockey I thought and getting a lot of chances. And obviously what he's done in this playoffs so far has been incredible. We're pretty lucky to have him and we know he's just going to keep getting better and keep doing those things for us.''

Tarasenko is the only player to get a point in every game of the Western Conference final. But just two of his seven points in the series are goals.

Instead he has become a potent playmaker, setting up Bozak's eventual game-winning goal in Game 4 and assisting on two of Schwartz's goals in Game 5.

''Every time he gets the puck he puts them on edge,'' Blues center Ryan O'Reilly said. ''Having such a shot like he does, teams are scared when he gets the puck and obviously they maybe will overcompensate for that and other things come available. Having played with him throughout the year, you see how dangerous he is whether it's taking that shot or just being that threat that opens so much up.''

Tarasenko's unselfish play was evident on Schwartz's third goal. Carrying the puck on the power play, he could have taken a shot. But with San Jose playing the shot, he found Schwartz cutting towards the net for a one-timer into a wide-open net.

''Vlady is a good passer, he makes plays,'' Berube said. ''He's got his head up a lot, sees the ice well. His hard work is paying off. He's working hard without the puck, and he's a powerful guy.''

Tarasenko has led the Blues in goals in each of the past five seasons. Though he has taken a back seat to Schwartz in goal-scoring, the Blues are thriving in the postseason as never before from his playmaking ability.

And they are one win away from playing for the Stanley Cup, which many thought would have been impossible on Jan. 3 when the Blues were at the bottom of the NHL standings.

''Everyone knows we have a lot of work to do and we're going to get their best game,'' Schwartz said. ''They're going to have the most desperation they've had in this series. We'll enjoy it tonight, but we know there's a lot of work yet.''

[StarDust Bum]

Sharks dealing with key injuries
May 20, 2019
By The Associated Press

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) The San Jose Sharks could be headed into their fifth elimination game of the postseason short-handed.

The Sharks left town Monday to play Game 6 of the Western Conference final at St. Louis with questions about the status of captain Joe Pavelski, high-scoring forward Tomas Hertl and playmaking defenseman Erik Karlsson.

Coach Peter DeBoer gave no update on their conditions and didn't say whether any of the three made the trip to St. Louis. San Jose lost all three stars to injuries during a 5-0 loss at home to the Blues on Sunday that left them trailing the best-of-seven series 3-2 headed into Tuesday night's game.

The Sharks have already staved off elimination four times this postseason, rallying from 3-1 down in a first-round series against Vegas and then winning a seventh game on home ice in the second round against Colorado.

''We've dealt with this before and guys have stepped in and got the job done,'' DeBoer said. ''People can write us off but I know in our room we know we have guys in there who we know can step in and get this done.''

Pulling it off again against a deep and physical Blues team could be even more of a challenge, especially if the Sharks will be missing some key pieces.

Karlsson has been dealing with groin injuries since January. He missed 27 of the final 33 regular-season games but returned for the start of the playoffs even if he often looked hampered by the injury. Karlsson appeared to be finding his groove, scoring two goals, including the overtime winner, in Game 3 at St. Louis before coming up lame again in the fourth game.

Karlsson played just one shift in the final 9:24 of Game 4 but told DeBoer he was good to go Sunday. He wasn't moving well early in the game and committed a turnover that led to St. Louis' first goal. He played just 3:03 in the second period and was unable to accelerate on the play that led to Vladimir Tarasenko's penalty shot. Karlsson then didn't come back out for the third as DeBoer acknowledged he had regrets about playing him.

If Karlsson is unable to go, Tim Heed will likely get his first action since filling in for an injured Marc-Edouard Vlasic in Games 3 and 4 of the opening round. But the Sharks will miss Karlsson, who has two goals and 14 assists this postseason.

Hertl was hit high in the first period by Ivan Barbashev in a play the Sharks believe should have been penalized as an illegal hit to the head. He remained in the game through the second period but also didn't come out for the third.

That was the second time this series the Sharks felt one of their players got hit in the head with no penalty in the game or supplemental discipline. Defenseman Justin Braun got hit by Sammy Blais in Game 3.

''You don't want to see your teammates get hit like that,'' Braun said. ''You can't worry about the refs' calls or non-calls. You have to go out there and keep playing.''

Pavelski, who led the team with 38 goals in the regular season, dealt with yet another injury early in the third when Alex Pietrangelo sent him into the boards and appeared to hit him high at the end with an elbow. Pavelski didn't return and there is concern because he missed six games already this postseason after a bloody concussion when his helmet slammed into the ice in Game 7 against Vegas.

If Hertl and Pavelski can't go, the Sharks' depth up front will take a serious hit. Marcus Sorensen, who missed two of the past three games, could move back into the lineup, with winger Lukas Radil and untested center Dylan Gambrell also options.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sharks (47-27) at Blues (45-28)
Date: May 21, 2019 8:00 PM EDT

The team that sat dead last in the NHL when the calendar flipped to 2019 is now one win away from the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1970.

That kind of turnaround sounds like a cheesy movie of the week, but it's the scenario before the St. Louis Blues after they blasted the host San Jose Sharks 5-0 Sunday afternoon to take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference finals.

"We're close," Blues forward Patrick Maroon told reporters. "We're very close right now. I think the guys know that. It's in the back of their heads, but we know that that's a good hockey team over there, too, and they're not going to give up."

The Blues will look to close out the best-of-seven series Tuesday at home when they host Game 6. The winner of the series will face the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final.

Coincidentally, the last time the Blues reached the championship round, they lost to the Bruins -- a result forever framed by the famous image of Bobby Orr flying through the air after scoring the Cup-winning goal. St. Louis made the Cup final in each of its first three seasons but hasn't returned since.

"It's gonna be a lot of emotion and it's important our players keep it in check," Blues head coach Craig Berube said. "Our players have done a pretty good job of ... focusing. I don't expect anything different. It's important at the start of the game you're simple and direct. Keep your emotions in check and not let them get out of control."

Berube's charges moved ahead in the series with their most dominating performance of the playoffs. Jaden Schwartz recorded a hat trick and goalie Jordan Binnington made 21 saves for his first career playoff shutout as the Blues claimed their seventh win in nine road tilts this spring.

"If you saw the game, you saw how good everyone on the team played," Binnington told Sportsnet after the game. "Everyone was outstanding, making the right decisions, playing hard and playing disciplined. That's a good team win."

And a costly one for the Sharks. Not only did they suffer a defeat, but the Sharks suffered through a war of attrition in what may be their final home game of the season. Defenseman Erik Karlsson and forward Tomas Hertl didn't play in the third period, while captain Joe Pavelski left early in the final frame after taking a hard check.

Karlsson, who appeared to aggravate a groin injury that limited him during the regular season, looked nothing like himself on the game's first goal. His poor giveaway resulted in Oskar Sundqvist's game-opening goal before the six-minute mark. From there, it went to downright ugly for the hosts as the Blues took complete control.

Schwartz's trio of goals gives him 12 in the playoffs, one more than he collected through the regular season, while Vladimir Tarasenko netted a penalty shot goal in a three-point game. Tarasenko has collected at least one point in every game this series.

Now, the Sharks must find a way to recover and win on the road to force a seventh game at home, which would be Thursday.

"We've been here before. We had to go and win in Vegas to get to a Game 7," said coach Peter DeBoer, whose team has been outscored 7-1 in the last two games. "You're never comfortable when your back's against the wall like that, but we've been there before and found away. We're confident we can do that again."

Sharks goalie Martin Jones stopped 35 shots in the loss.

--Field Level Media


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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Blues at Sharks
Sat, May 11 Final 3 to 6
Recaps

GAME 2
Blues at Sharks
Mon, May 13 Final 4 to 2
Recaps

GAME 3
Sharks at Blues
Wed, May 15 Final 5 to 4
Recaps

GAME 4
Sharks at Blues
Fri, May 17 Final 1 to 2
Recaps

GAME 5
Blues at Sharks
Sun, May 19 Final 5 to 0
Recaps

GAME 6
Sharks at Blues

Tue, May 21 - 8:00PM EDT
GAME 7
Blues at Sharks

[StarDust Bum]

[StarDust Bum]

25San Jose -26 St Louis
ST LOUIS are 22-6 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.


NHL
Dunkel

Tuesday, May 21

San Jose @ St. Louis

Game 25-26
May 21, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Jose
10.475
St. Louis
12.882
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 2 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-150
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(-150); Under


NHL
Long Sheet

Tuesday, May 21

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SAN JOSE (56-35-0-10, 122 pts.) at ST LOUIS (56-33-0-11, 123 pts.) - 5/21/2019, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 41-22 ATS (+8.4 Units) second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 35-23 ATS (+4.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 23-11 ATS (+11.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
SAN JOSE is 92-58 ATS (+26.2 Units) in road games on Tuesday nights since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 227-242 ATS (+512.1 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
ST LOUIS is 17-23 ATS (-14.1 Units) in home games after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 8-6 (+2.2 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 8-6-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
8 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.4 Units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


NHL

Tuesday, May 21

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Trend Report
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San Jose Sharks
San Jose is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
San Jose is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of San Jose's last 11 games when playing St. Louis
San Jose is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
San Jose is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Jose's last 5 games when playing on the road against St. Louis

St. Louis Blues
St. Louis is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games
St. Louis is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
St. Louis is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home
St. Louis is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of St. Louis's last 11 games when playing San Jose
St. Louis is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games when playing at home against San Jose
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against San Jose
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing at home against San Jose

[StarDust Bum]

Blues close to Stanley Cup Final

ST. LOUIS (AP) Jaden Schwartz is on a scoring run that has the St. Louis Blues dreaming big.

Schwartz's hat trick in Game 5 on Sunday helped give the Blues a 3-2 series lead against the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference final and set the single-season franchise record for playoff wins.

The Blues could advance to their first Stanley Cup Final since 1970 when they host Game 6 Tuesday night.

''It's probably tough to put into words,'' Schwartz said. ''It's something that everyone's worked for and dreamed about. You don't want to look too far ahead. We all know how important and how hard that last win's going to be. It would be a dream come true.''

Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko have played huge roles in the Blues' playoff success. Just not necessarily in the way that was expected.

Tarasenko has come up with more big assists than goals against the Sharks.

Meanwhile, Schwartz has found a scoring touch that eluded him during the regular season. After scoring 11 goals in 69 regular-season games, Schwartz has 12 goals in 18 playoff games.

''He's obviously a tenacious player, a hard-working player,'' Blues coach Craig Berube said. ''I know, goal-wise, he didn't have a good regular season, but the work ethic was there and other things besides not producing with the goals.

''He's a 200-foot player for us and he's around the net for us, that's where he scores. His hard work, being relentless and staying with it is paying off.''

Schwartz's scoring run began on a quick pass from Tyler Bozak with 15 seconds left in regulation to snap a 2-2 tie in Game 5 in the first round against Winnipeg. He followed that up with a hat trick in Game 6 to send the Blues to the second round.

Schwartz is the first player to have two hat tricks in the same playoffs since Johan Franzen did it for Detroit in 2008 and he is the first to do it for the Blues.

Not bad for a guy who went 23 games without a goal during the regular season.

''He's obviously been kind of our engine and a guy that's scored huge goals for us throughout every series,'' Bozak said.

''Pucks weren't going in as much as he probably wanted in the regular season, but he was still playing really good hockey I thought and getting a lot of chances. And obviously what he's done in this playoffs so far has been incredible. We're pretty lucky to have him and we know he's just going to keep getting better and keep doing those things for us.''

Tarasenko is the only player to get a point in every game of the Western Conference final. But just two of his seven points in the series are goals.

Instead he has become a potent playmaker, setting up Bozak's eventual game-winning goal in Game 4 and assisting on two of Schwartz's goals in Game 5.

''Every time he gets the puck he puts them on edge,'' Blues center Ryan O'Reilly said. ''Having such a shot like he does, teams are scared when he gets the puck and obviously they maybe will overcompensate for that and other things come available. Having played with him throughout the year, you see how dangerous he is whether it's taking that shot or just being that threat that opens so much up.''

Tarasenko's unselfish play was evident on Schwartz's third goal. Carrying the puck on the power play, he could have taken a shot. But with San Jose playing the shot, he found Schwartz cutting towards the net for a one-timer into a wide-open net.

''Vlady is a good passer, he makes plays,'' Berube said. ''He's got his head up a lot, sees the ice well. His hard work is paying off. He's working hard without the puck, and he's a powerful guy.''

Tarasenko has led the Blues in goals in each of the past five seasons. Though he has taken a back seat to Schwartz in goal-scoring, the Blues are thriving in the postseason as never before from his playmaking ability.

And they are one win away from playing for the Stanley Cup, which many thought would have been impossible on Jan. 3 when the Blues were at the bottom of the NHL standings.

''Everyone knows we have a lot of work to do and we're going to get their best game,'' Schwartz said. ''They're going to have the most desperation they've had in this series. We'll enjoy it tonight, but we know there's a lot of work yet.''

[StarDust Bum]

Sharks dealing with key injuries

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) The San Jose Sharks could be headed into their fifth elimination game of the postseason short-handed.

The Sharks left town Monday to play Game 6 of the Western Conference final at St. Louis with questions about the status of captain Joe Pavelski, high-scoring forward Tomas Hertl and playmaking defenseman Erik Karlsson.

Coach Peter DeBoer gave no update on their conditions and didn't say whether any of the three made the trip to St. Louis. San Jose lost all three stars to injuries during a 5-0 loss at home to the Blues on Sunday that left them trailing the best-of-seven series 3-2 headed into Tuesday night's game.

The Sharks have already staved off elimination four times this postseason, rallying from 3-1 down in a first-round series against Vegas and then winning a seventh game on home ice in the second round against Colorado.

''We've dealt with this before and guys have stepped in and got the job done,'' DeBoer said. ''People can write us off but I know in our room we know we have guys in there who we know can step in and get this done.''

Pulling it off again against a deep and physical Blues team could be even more of a challenge, especially if the Sharks will be missing some key pieces.

Karlsson has been dealing with groin injuries since January. He missed 27 of the final 33 regular-season games but returned for the start of the playoffs even if he often looked hampered by the injury. Karlsson appeared to be finding his groove, scoring two goals, including the overtime winner, in Game 3 at St. Louis before coming up lame again in the fourth game.

Karlsson played just one shift in the final 9:24 of Game 4 but told DeBoer he was good to go Sunday. He wasn't moving well early in the game and committed a turnover that led to St. Louis' first goal. He played just 3:03 in the second period and was unable to accelerate on the play that led to Vladimir Tarasenko's penalty shot. Karlsson then didn't come back out for the third as DeBoer acknowledged he had regrets about playing him.

If Karlsson is unable to go, Tim Heed will likely get his first action since filling in for an injured Marc-Edouard Vlasic in Games 3 and 4 of the opening round. But the Sharks will miss Karlsson, who has two goals and 14 assists this postseason.

Hertl was hit high in the first period by Ivan Barbashev in a play the Sharks believe should have been penalized as an illegal hit to the head. He remained in the game through the second period but also didn't come out for the third.

That was the second time this series the Sharks felt one of their players got hit in the head with no penalty in the game or supplemental discipline. Defenseman Justin Braun got hit by Sammy Blais in Game 3.

''You don't want to see your teammates get hit like that,'' Braun said. ''You can't worry about the refs' calls or non-calls. You have to go out there and keep playing.''

Pavelski, who led the team with 38 goals in the regular season, dealt with yet another injury early in the third when Alex Pietrangelo sent him into the boards and appeared to hit him high at the end with an elbow. Pavelski didn't return and there is concern because he missed six games already this postseason after a bloody concussion when his helmet slammed into the ice in Game 7 against Vegas.

If Hertl and Pavelski can't go, the Sharks' depth up front will take a serious hit. Marcus Sorensen, who missed two of the past three games, could move back into the lineup, with winger Lukas Radil and untested center Dylan Gambrell also options.

[StarDust Bum]

Sharks vs Blues NHL betting picks and predictions: St. Louis capitalizing on San Jose's defensive miscues
Monty Andrews

Vladimir Tarasenko and the St Louis Blues are -165 betting favorites at home against the San Jose Sharks in NHL playoff action tonight.

The St. Louis Blues are a win away from reaching their first Stanley Cup final since 1970 – and oddsmakers like the chances of that happening as the Blues host the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday in Game 6 of the Western Conference final.

St. Louis is the biggest betting favorite of any team at any point during the conference finals, listed at -165 following an impressive 5-0 drubbing of the Sharks on the road in Game 5. San Jose is sputtering in a major way, having scored just one goal in its previous two games. We break down the odds with our predictions and best bets for this NHL playoff battle.

San Jose Sharks at St. Louis Blues (-165, 5.5)

QUICK-HITTER

There has been a first-period winner in each of the first five games of this series – and with the way these teams have come out of late, it's hard to go against the home team here. The Blues have scored three goals on just 14 shots in the opening period of their past two games against the Sharks, and have allowed a first-period goal just once in the previous four games. Look for the Blues to come out strong in Game 6, and go into the first intermission with the lead as a result.

PREDICTION: St. Louis -0.5 first-period puckline (+155)

PERIOD BET

While the second period has been the most entertaining 20-minute segment in this series, we have a feeling there will be plenty of fireworks in the early stages of Game 6. San Jose was stymied despite outshooting St. Louis 11-4 in the opening period of Game 5, then came out completely flat over the final 40 minutes. With their season on the line, the high-powered Sharks are a good bet to score in the first period – and so are the Blues, which makes the O1.5 the superior option here.

PREDICTION: Over 1.5 first-period goals (-105)

TEAM/PLAYER BET

The winning side has scored four or more goals in four of the first five games of the series, and are a good bet to end up there again given the proficiency of these offenses. The Blues have scored three or more goals four times against the Sharks, and given how San Jose has struggled at the back end for the majority of the season, it's easy to envision the home team putting multiple pucks into the net yet again. We favor the Blues finishing with three or four goals in this one.

PREDICTION: St. Louis 3 or 4 goals (+127)

FULL-GAME TOTAL

There are plenty of reasons to favor the Over in this one despite the Sharks' recent offensive doldrums. The Sharks have faced elimination three times in this postseason, and scored 12 total goals in those contests; look for a similar all-out offensive effort Tuesday night. And St. Louis is primed for another strong offensive showing against a San Jose netminder in Martin Jones who boasts a dismal .902 save percentage in the playoffs. The O5.5 looks good here.

PREDICTION: Over 5.5 (+100)

FULL-GAME SIDE

The Sharks probably won't be kept down to the extent that they were in Games 4 and 5, and should give the St. Louis defense fits. But the Blues are a controversial non-call away from potentially finishing off San Jose in five games, and have clearly been the superior team of late. And it doesn't help that the Sharks are dealing with a rash of injuries to key players, including Erik Karlsson and Joe Pavelski. San Jose looks almost out of gas – and the Blues are well-positioned to empty the tank Tuesday.

PREDICTION: St. Louis -1.5 (+175)

[StarDust Bum]

TUESDAY, MAY 21
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

SJ at STL 08:00 PM

SJ +144

U 5.5

[StarDust Bum]

Blues beat Sharks 5-1 to win West
May 21, 2019
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ST. LOUIS (AP) The St. Louis Blues are marching into the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in decades.

David Perron had a goal and an assist, Jordan Binnington picked up his franchise-record 12th playoff win and the Blues beat the San Jose Sharks 5-1 in Game 6 of the Western Conference final Tuesday night.

Vladimir Tarasenko, Brayden Schenn and Tyler Bozak also scored for St. Louis, which will face the Boston Bruins for the championship. Ivan Barbashev got an empty-netter with 2:15 left, Ryan O'Reilly had three assists and Binnington stopped 25 shots.

St. Louis won three consecutive games to advance to the franchise's first Cup Final since 1970. That series also pitted the Blues against the Bruins.

Game 1 is Monday night in Boston.

Laura Branigan's ''Gloria'' blared over the speakers at the Blues' home arena after the latest victory on an improbable run from last in the NHL Jan. 3 to one of the last two teams standing. The turnaround came after Craig Berube replaced Mike Yeo as coach in November and Binnington took over as the starting goaltender in January.

San Jose played without injured forwards Joe Pavelski and Tomas Hertl and defenseman Erik Karlsson. Injury attrition played a role for the Sharks, who played seven games in each of the first two rounds.

Dylan Gambrell scored his first career goal for San Jose, which lost for the first time in five elimination games this postseason. Martin Jones made 14 stops.

St. Louis grabbed control with a fast start.

Perron tipped in Sammy Blais' shot just 92 seconds into the game. Tarasenko made it 2-0 with a well-placed wrist shot at 16:16.

Tarasenko got his eighth goal of the postseason just seven seconds after San Jose forward Barclay Goodrow was sent off for tripping. Tarasenko recorded a point in each game of the series.

Gambrell converted a breakaway along the right wing 6:40 into the second period. Joonas Donskoi set up the play with a long stretch pass.

Gambrell's goal came just seconds after Jones stopped Pat Maroon from close range. It also stopped the Sharks' scoring drought at 99 minutes, 32 seconds.

Schenn pushed the lead to 3-1 with a power-play goal 12:47 into the second. He pounced on the rebound of a shot by Alex Pietrangelo for his first goal in 14 games.

Bozak scored on a feed from Perron in the third period for a 4-1 lead.

Binnington improved to 12-7 with his second successive strong effort. He made 21 saves in a 5-0 win in Game 4 on Sunday.

The 25-year-old Binnington stopped Evander Kane on the doorstep midway through the third. He also denied Logan Couture on a breakaway later in the period.

NOTES: St. Louis went 0-12 in its three previous Stanley Cup appearances. ... The team that scored first won all six games. ... Referee Wes McCauley left in the first period with a lower-body injury. He was replaced by alternate Gord Dwyer. ... St. Louis D Vince Dunn missed his third consecutive game with an upper-body injury. He took a puck to the mouth in the first period of Game 3. ... St. Louis pitcher Adam Wainwright and catcher Yadier Molina attended the game after the Cardinals' matchup with Kansas City was rained out. ... The Blues have set a franchise record for postseason wins with 12.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY MAY 27, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:08 PM St. Louis Blues Boston Bruins TD Garden


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


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


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..............18-27-1 .....40.00% -72.10


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BEST BETS:


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


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 - 5.....................+7.70................6 - 16...................-58.00............-50.30


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


APRIL'S NHL BEST BETS


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

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

— It snowed in Denver Tuesday. On May 21st. Good grief.

— DT Ndamukong Suh signed a 1-year deal with the Buccaneers.

— Giants 4, Braves 3— SF scored 3 in 9th; Panik had walk-off single.

— Baseball injuries: Angels put SS Andrelton Simmons (ankle) on IL

— Mariners put 2B Dee Gordon, 3B Ryan Healy on IL.

— Before Tuesday, Washington’s bullpen had 6.46 ERA; next-worst in MLB is Miami’s (5.35)


**********

Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Mid-week musings…….

13) Mets have a problem with Robinson Cano, who twice didn’t run out balls last weekend, both of which resulted in double plays. Cano is making $24M a year from now thru 2023; is it too much to ask him to at least pretend that he cares?

I don’t need him sprinting to first on a ball where he has no chance to be safe; Aledmys Diaz of the Astros got hurt doing that Friday. Tampa Bay lost Evan Longoria for 87 games once when he pulled a hamstring sprinting on a ball he had no chance to beat out.

But Cano has to at least go 60-75% to first base; he is an elder statesman of the game, the team is struggling badly, the manager’s job is hanging in the balance. It isn’t a lot to ask.

12) Mets were shut out both Saturday and Sunday in Miami, the first time since 1967 that the Mets had two or fewer hits in consecutive games.

11) According to guys on ESPN.com, a 6-foot-11 Croatian forward named Luka Sumanic made the biggest impression at the NBA Combine this weekend.

10) According to observers, LSU PG Tremont Waters outplayed fellow point guards, Tennessee’s Jordan Bone and St John’s Shamorie Ponds

9) Sunday, the A’s scored two runs in top of the 7th inning to take a 5-3 lead in Detroit, but rain stopped the game and it never resumed. The game will resume September 6, when hopefully it will matter if Oakland can get the last nine outs of the game.

A’s lost the last six Sundays; at least they didn’t lose this game, and it’ll be resumed on a Friday, so that helps.

8) Tampa Bay Rays have two catchers active; Travis d’Arnaud ad Erik Kratz; neither guy was in the Tampa Bay organization two weeks ago.

7) Jerry Glanville is going to the defensive coordinator of the XFL team in Tampa; he was in the CFL working under June Jones LY, but didn’t go to Houston’s XFL team with Jones.

6) Brooks Koepka’s +4 Sunday was the highest final round score by a major champion since Vijay Singh at the 2004 PGA. Thats when it is good to have a 7-stroke lead.

5) Eight golfers have finished 2nd in all four majors: Mickelson, Nicklaus, Norman, Oosthuizen, Palmer, Tom Watson, Craig Wood and now, Dustin Johnson.

You make a boatload of money for finishing 2nd in a major.

4) Training camp in the CFL started last weekend. Football is coming close to being a year-round thing.

3) When Bronx-Red Sox play couple of baseball games in London next month, the games will be played on artificial turf. MLB had use of the stadium for 21 days; they decided there wasn’t enough time to install real grass, so artificial turf it is.

2) Providence basketball coach Ed Cooley turned Michigan down Tuesday, as John Beilein’s old job remains open. Cooley got a contract extension from Providence.

1) No Buffalo Bill has worn #32 since OJ Simpson left the team in 1977, but free agent RB Sinorise Perry was wearing #32 during Buffalo’s OTAs this week.

[StarDust Bum]

Bruins, Blues meet in Stanley Cup Final
May 21, 2019
By The Associated Press

Seeing the famous photo of Bobby Orr scoring the 1970 Stanley Cup-winning goal to beat his St. Louis Blues doesn't bring back bad memories for Scotty Bowman.

''Not really,'' the legendary coach said. ''Because we didn't have a big opportunity to win that series.''

Orr and the big, bad Boston Bruins swept Bowman's overmatched, expansion-era Blues in that series. Now 49 years later, Boston is in its third final in nine seasons and St. Louis is back for the first time since 1970, but this Bruins-Blues rematch is a showdown between two of the NHL's best teams since Jan. 1.

''Now it's more level,'' Bowman said. ''(The Blues) don't give a lot of room in their end, and of course their goalie's been lights out.''

Coming off a sweep of Carolina in the Eastern Conference final, the Bruins are favored in the series that begins Monday in Boston. Goaltender Tuukka Rask is the front-runner to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Brad Marchand is playing some of the best hockey of his career with 18 points in 17 games, and there's a mix of veterans from the 2011 Stanley Cup-winning team and fresh players eager to get their names etched on the trophy.

''I think as you get older, you appreciate it even more, and you realize how hard it is to get to this point and advance and be thankful and stay in the moment,'' center Patrice Bergeron said. ''But then it's back to work, and there's a lot of work in front of us.''

Unlike in 1970, when the Bruins essentially just had to step on the ice to take the final, these Blues won't go away. They woke up last in the league on Jan. 3 before winning 30 of their final 45 games to roll into the playoffs, where they beat the Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks.

Craig Berube, who replaced Mike Yeo as Blues coach in November, said teams would rather avoid those tough times. But they've made his players stronger.

''We were trying to get on the right track,'' Berube said after the Western Conference final-clinching Game 6 victory Tuesday. ''Once we got going in January and February, I knew we had a good hockey team. Once you get in the playoffs, anything can happen. We're here and we did. They believed they were going to make the playoffs, and we're here.''

The Blues are still here in large part because of rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington, whose first start in January coincided with the turnaround. They adopted Laura Branigan's catchy 1980s pop hit ''Gloria'' as their victory song, rallied in the playoffs around young fan Laila Anderson, who has a life-threatening immune disease, and became the NHL's latest surprise story.

''The last couple months in the city have been crazy,'' star winger Vladimir Tarasenko said. ''The support is amazing. They give us a lot of power. Unbelievable.''

St. Louis is the oldest franchise not to win the Stanley Cup, and its drought is the second longest behind the Toronto Maple Leafs'. The Leafs won the season before the Blues came into the league. To finish this improbable run, the Blues have to go through the Bruins, who finished tied for the second-most points this season.

''They are a hard team to play against, a really skilled team,'' Tarasenko said. ''But we have a hard team, too. It will be some interesting games.''

Bowman's first thought about the series was that he couldn't believe how long the Bruins will have to sit out. Boston will have a week and a half between finishing off Carolina and Game 1, and even St. Louis will go six days without playing.

One benefit for the Bruins is they should get captain Zdeno Chara back for the final after he missed Game 4 against Carolina.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday’s 6-pack

Odds to win the NASCAR race in Charlotte Sunday night:

3-1— Kyle Busch

9-2— Kevin Harvick

6-1— Martin Truex

7-1— Brad Keselowski

8-1— Joey Logano, Chase Elliott

14-1— Clint Bowyer

Quote of the Day
“I am very excited about the opportunity to lead the University of Michigan’s storied basketball program. I have been very fortunate to be part of a great championship organization in the Miami Heat for the last nine years — three as a player and six as a coach. It was always going to take something incredibly special to for me to leave Miami; however, I know in my heart this is the right place and the right time.”
Juwan Howard

Thursday’s quiz
Which former NBA star is the head coach/GM of the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA?

Wednesday’s quiz
OJ Simpson finished his NFL career with the 49ers.

Tuesday’s quiz
The Sun Bowl is played in El Paso every December.

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

Thursday’s List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud…….

13) Michigan hired Juwan Howard as its new basketball coach; Howard had been as assistant with the Miami Heat and of course is a Michigan alum, playing in the Fab Five era.

12) Giancarlo Stanton looks like an NFL tight end, but good grief, he gets hurt a lot.

First, a biceps strain; rehab from that led to a shoulder issue. Then, in his first rehab game in Florida, he strains a calf muscle trying to avoid a pitch in a Class A game, so now he’s been shut down another 7-10 days. Oy.

Stanton has been on my fantasy team since since he was an 18-year old in the Florida State League, so I’ve been down this road before:
— Missed 39 games in 2012
— Missed 46 games in 2013
— Missed 88 games in 2015
— Missed 43 games in 2016
— Missed 45 games already this season.

Guy gets paid $30M a year; would be nice if he played more.

11) Monday is Stanton Bobblehead Day in the Bronx; that should go over well.

10) Race for the two Wild Cards in the AL:
— Tampa Bay 27-18
— Boston 25-23
— Cleveland 25-23
— Texas 24-23
— Oakland 25-25
— LA Angels 22-26

9) Gleyber Torres has 11 homers this year; nine of them were against Baltimore.

8) Iowa passed a sports betting bill this week; their goal is to begin taking wagers around August 10th.

7) Baseball stuff:
— Cleveland DFA’d OF Carlos Gonzalez.
— Rockies put P Wade Davis (oblique) on IL.
— Angels put C Kevan Smith on 7-day concussion IL.

6) St Louis Blues came into the NHL in the fall of 1967, and made the Stanley Cup finals their first three years in the NHL, going 0-12 in those finals. This will be the first time since then that they’re back in the finals, playing the same Bruins’ squad they lost to in 1970.

5) Colonial Country Club is hosting a PGA Tour event this week for the 72nd consecutive year, the second-longest streak behind Augusta National.

4) Vanderbilt hired Faragi Phillips as an assistant basketball coach; he went 105-31 in four years as a head coach at the high school level in Memphis, winning two state titles. Memphis is a very fertile recruiting ground in basketball.

3) Future NFL Draft sites: 2021: Cleveland, 2023: Kansas City. No word on 2022.

NFL Combine is staying in Indianapolis for at least the next couple years.

2) A’s 7, Indians 2— Oakland won its last six games, is back at .500 (25-25).

1) Robinson Cano actually ran out a ground ball last night, so of course he leaves the game right after with a strained quad muscle.

[StarDust Bum]

More disappointment for Sharks
May 22, 2019
By The Associated Pres

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) Magical comebacks, dramatic wins and the most talented roster in San Jose Sharks history weren't enough to deliver the franchise its first Stanley Cup title.

A team depleted by several key injuries ended its season with a 5-1 loss in Game 6 of the Western Conference final Tuesday night, turning the drama of Game 7 wins in the first two rounds into footnotes on a season that was ultimately a disappointment.

''We didn't make it easy for ourselves the whole playoffs,'' defenseman Brent Burns said. ''We always battled back. We got through a lot as a team. A lot of guys just battled. Just to get this far a lot of things have to go right. We battled together but came up short. It's crushing to come this far and not get the job done.''

The goal for the Sharks was clear ever since they acquired two-time Norris Trophy winning defenseman Erik Karlsson from Ottawa just before the start of the season. Coach Peter DeBoer told his team the ingredients were in place for that elusive first championship in San Jose. It appeared like that could be the case after the Sharks rallied from three goals down in the third period of Game 7 in the opening round to beat Vegas in overtime and followed that up with another Game 7 win against Colorado in round two.

But with Karlsson unable to play the final four periods of the postseason because of a groin injury that slowed him since January, and captain Joe Pavelski and two-way center Tomas Hertl also out after taking high hits, the Sharks didn't have enough to handle the Blues.

This season ended like so many others for the Sharks, who have won more games than any other team and the second-most playoff series the past 15 seasons but still are seeking a first championship.

''They all hurt,'' said center Logan Couture, who tied a franchise record with 14 goals in the playoffs. ''It doesn't matter what the roster is. When you get this far in the playoffs or you make the playoffs it hurts. You get in the playoffs you believe you can win.''

Here are some other takeaways from the season:

JUMBO JOE: One motivating factor for the Sharks this postseason was delivering a title for beloved leader Joe Thornton. The greatest player in franchise history turns 40 in July and has not decided whether he wants to come back for another season. Thornton dealt with injuries early in the season, then had a strong stretch as a third-line center late before struggling a bit the final two rounds outside of a two-goal performance in Game 3 at St. Louis.

''He's the face, he's the heartbeat of the organization,'' DeBoer said. ''I think like all the players in that room, as coaches we're disappointed for not helping him get there. Because he gives you everything he's got and should be there.''

CAPTAIN PAVELSKI: No player personified the Sharks' grueling journey this spring more than Pavelski. His postseason started with a puck that deflected off his face for a goal. The injuries only got worse when his helmet violently crashed to the ice, leading to a bloody concussion in Game 7 against Vegas. That led to the epic comeback with four goals on one disputed major penalty that will go down as the greatest moment in franchise history until the team wins a Cup. Pavelski made a triumphant return in Game 7 of the second round but got hurt again in Game 5 against the Blues. Pavelski turns 35 and heads into an uncertain summer of free agency following a 38-goal season.

KARLSSON'S FUTURE: It was a somewhat disappointing first season in San Jose for Karlsson and now the question is whether it will be his only one. He took about two months to find his groove and then played at an elite level for about six weeks. He hurt his groin in January and was never the same. He missed 27 of the final 33 regular-season games and was never completely healed in the playoffs. He heads into free agency in July and his decision will impact what the Sharks will be able to do with Pavelski and other key pieces.

STEPPING UP: The biggest positive for San Jose this season was the emergence of Hertl and Timo Meier as building blocks for the future. The 25-year-old Hertl was the top-scoring forward for the Sharks with 74 points and showed the capability of manning a top line as a center. The 22-year-old Meier had 30 goals and looks like a long-time fixture as a top-six forward.

BETWEEN THE PIPES: Martin Jones was one of the worst starting goalies in the league during the regular season in his first year of a $34.5 million, six-year contract. He had a career-low .896 save percentage in the regular season and was pulled early in two of his first four postseason starts. He rebounded and was a key part of the first-round win over Vegas but finished the playoffs with an .898 save percentage.