Blues Climb to Odds of +270 to Win Stanley Cup After Game 3 Loss
- The odds of the St. Louis Blues winning the Stanley Cup climbed to +270 after they lost Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final
- The Blues are the eighth team to give up seven goals in a Stanley Cup final game since 1981, and all lost the final series
- Teams that win Game 3 of NHL finals series tied 1-1 are 22-6 (78.6 percent) since 1939
The St. Louis Blues waited 49 years for another home game in the Stanley Cup final, and they went out and played the worst Stanley Cup final game in franchise history.
A 7-2 loss to the Boston Bruins in Game 3 of the Cup final series was as lopsided as it sounds. It was the worst drubbing handed a team in a final series games since Boston whipped Vancouver 8-1 in Game 3 of the 2011 final.
Sportsbooks have moved the Stanley Cup odds on the Blues to +270, the worst they’ve been since the series got underway.
St. Louis Blues vs Boston Bruins Stanley Cup Final Odds
| Team | 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Final Odds |
|---|---|
| St. Louis Blues | +270 |
| Boston Bruins | -340 |
Odds taken 06/02/19.
St. Louis opened the Cup final series as +140 underdogs but jumped to even money after a 3-2 overtime victory in Game 2.
Home Ice Blues
A number of things went wrong for St. Louis in Game 3. Goalie Jordan Binnington was chased from the net for the first time in the playoffs. The Blues surrendered four goals to the Boston power play. They lost Game 3 for the third time in four series.
When the #StanleyCup Final is tied 1-1, the winner of Game 3 holds an all-time series record of 22-6 (78.6%) since 1939.
More #NHLStats: https://t.co/CvovZNT58s pic.twitter.com/bX9n5s20MP
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 1, 2019
Mostly though, an ongoing dilemma continued to plague the Blues. They lost yet again on home ice at the Enterprise Center. It was the third time in four playoff rounds that St. Louis has dropped its first home game.
Teams that don’t win at home in the playoffs don’t win the Stanley Cup, and the Blues now own a dismal 5-6 slate on home ice.
Boston Blowout
In Game 3, Boston utilized its speed advantage to put the Blues back on their heels and prevent St. Louis from dictating the game via its forecheck and physical presence.
The @NHLBruins hold a 2-1 lead in a best-of-seven #StanleyCup Playoffs series for the 32nd time in franchise history.
Boston owns an all-time series record of 22-9 in the 31 previous scenarios. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/nOnSJ9HG6G
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 2, 2019
Meanwhile, Boston’s so-called Perfection Line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak, held to one point through the first two games, broke out big time. They combined for two goals and three assists in the rout.
Bounceback Blues
One trait that’s been evident for the Blues throughout the postseason is their ability to recover. They staved off elimination twice against Dallas in the second round and won three straight in the Western Conference final against San Jose after trailing 2-1. Binnington is 12-2 with a 1.82 GAA after a loss this season.
Binnington (5 goals, 19 shots): “Sometimes it’s not going to go your way. It’s a long series. We’ve come this far. We have to regroup and come back at them for next game.” #stlblues
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) June 2, 2019
Based on their history, putting a unit on the Blues at -115 in the Game 4 moneyline is a solid play. But stick with the Bruins to win the series. At -340, they currently aren’t a wise wager. If you haven’t already played an outright on Boston, wait until the outcome of Game 4. If the Blues win, you’ll get a better price on the Bruins.
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
