The St. Louis Blues know just how important it is to get a lead in a series against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Hawks are 16-1 at closing out foes after they take a lead at some point during the series, and if they steal Game 1 at the Scottrade Center, there's a good chance they're going to ultimately eliminate the Blues early.
Stanley Cup Odds at BookMaker.eu
Chicago Blackhawks -105 St. Louis Blues -115
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Blues are likely going to be favored in each of their home games in this series, but the margins aren't anywhere near convincing. They've opened up as -115 favorites for Game 1, and absolutely no result would be all that shocking.
Clearly, this game means more to St. Louis than it does to the Blackhawks. Chicago has been down 2-0 to the Blues before and lived to tell about it, so it won't be bothered if it doesn't come through as a -105 pup in the opening game of the postseason.
GOALIE REPORT
Good luck in the playoffs, Brian Elliott. Elliott has had all sorts of problems in the postseason in the past, posting a woeful .896 save percentage all-time in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. So yes, he led the league in save percentage at .930, but color us as skeptical until he proves that he can carry that into April and May.
As far as the Blackhawks are concerned, there's no worry in the pipes. Corey Crawford has been here and done this. Sure, he's only played in one game at the end of the regular season after returning from an upper body injury, but if there's a goalie we're confident can turn it on in the blink of an eye, it's Crawford.
LIVE BETTING
The Blues went 3-2 in this series in 2015-16, but all three of the St. Louis wins came in overtime or in shootouts. The fact that the Blues haven't managed to win a game in this series yet this year without the aid of the extra session is scary.
Games which go into OT this time of year almost always end up favoring the Blackhawks; last year, Chicago went 4-1 in OT games in the second season, including winning three games on the road that way.
QUICK PICK
The Blues absolutely have to have this game, and they have to have it in a high-scoring manner. Duncan Keith is suspended for this game, and you know when he comes back, that's just another weapon that the Blackhawks have on St. Louis. Furthermore, if Crawford gets settled in the pipes, this series could end up being over.
It's not like the Blues are chumps, though. They did tally 107 points in the regular season for a reason.
Vladimir Tarasenko scored 40 goals in the regular season and has lit the lamp 10 times in St. Louis' last 12 postseason games. Expect him to shine alongside David Backes and Alex Steen. It's only one game, and the Blues know that no lead is ever safe against the Blackhawks, but they'll get their pivotal Game 1 win to open this series.
NHL Odds: St. Louis 4, Chicago 2
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Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker today! The matchup between the Chicago Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues will start at 9:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at the Scottrade Center. Game 1 of this series will be televised live on NBC Sports Network.
