Bruins Move to -300 Favorites to Win Stanley Cup Following Comeback Win in Game 1

• The Bruins overcame an early 2-0 deficit to claim a 4-2 win and take a 1-0 series lead over the St. Louis Blues in this year’s Stanley Cup Final
• Boston has now won eight straight and has held opponents to two or fewer goals in eight of nine
• The Blues mustered just 20 shots on goal in Game 1, extending their all-time losing streak in the Stanley Cup Final to 13 games

The Boston Bruins rallied to steal a 4-2 victory in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final matchup with the St. Louis Blues, and have been rewarded at the sportsbooks, vaulting to -300 favorites to raise the Cup for the first time since 2011.

Odds to Win 2019 Stanley Cup

*Odds taken on 05/28/19

Their Stanley Cup odds sat at -160 entering Game 1 action on Monday night. The Bruins quickly fell behind in the series opener, spotting the Blues a pair of goals before mounting a ferocious comeback.

The Bruins are the first team to record eight straight victories in the playoffs since the Los Angeles Kings accomplished the feat on their way to a Stanley Cup win in 2012.

Boston outshot the Blues by an 18-3 margin in the second period while evening the contest at 2-2, and limited St. Louis to just 20 shots on goal on the evening.

With the win, the Bruins are the first team to record eight straight victories in the playoffs since the Los Angeles Kings accomplished the feat on their way to a Stanley Cup win in 2012.

Stingy Bruins Extend Dominance on Home Ice

The Bruins have now drawn first blood in three of their four playoff series this spring, and posted wins in six of seven on home ice since dropping two of their first three home dates to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round.

With the win, the Bruins also continued their stellar defensive play in the postseason. Boston has now surrendered just seven total goals over its past six contests, and has held opponents to two or fewer goals in eight of their past nine.

A franchise first for the @NHLBruins last night! 🙌 #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/EPXvhsVDec

— NHL (@NHL) May 28, 2019

With Monday’s loss as +145 underdogs, the Blues now look to Game 2 on Wednesday as diminished +250 underdogs on the NHL series prices, a major step back from the +140 odds the club sported in the hours before the puck dropped on Game 1.

Since the controversial game 3 loss, the Blues have not looked back – they’ve won the last 2! 🔥

Schwartz gets a hatty as they storm passed the Sharks 5-0!

Blues lead the series 3-2.#StanleyCup #stlblues pic.twitter.com/KpZvFcsmIT

— Redshirt Heisman (@TasteOfSport) May 20, 2019

The Blues had emerged as road warriors in their march to the Stanley Cup Final. The club posted wins in seven of nine outings prior to their Game 1 loss in Boston on Monday night, including a 5-0 rout of the San Jose Sharks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final that shifted the momentum of that series in their favor.

Playoff Adversity Nothing New for Blues

Playoff adversity is nothing new for St. Louis. In addition to falling behind 2-1 in their series with the Sharks before rebounding with three straight wins, the Blues were also pushed to the brink of elimination in their second-round clash with the Dallas Stars before responding with a pair of character wins to claim the series win in seven games.

However, history is clearly not on the side of St. Louis. With Monday’s loss, the Blues are now winless in 13 games in the Stanley Cup Final since entering the NHL in 1967. They now must overcome a three-game losing streak at TD Garden, where they must claim at least one win if they are to have any chance at Stanley Cup glory.

Teams that win Game 1 of a best-of-7 Stanley Cup Final have won the Stanley Cup 77.2 percent of the time. That’s 61 of 79 since 1939. The Capitals, though, lost Game 1 last year and won the next four games.

— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) May 28, 2019

In addition, teams that win Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final have gone on to win the series 77.2% of the time since the NHL moved to the current best-of-seven format. However, the Washington Capitals bucked that trend last season, rebounding after dropping a 6-4 decision to the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Bruins also opened their last successful run to the Stanley Cup with a loss, falling 4-3 in triple overtime to the Vancouver Canucks in Game 1 eight years ago.

Pick: Bruins (-300)