The schedule makers really blessed the St. Louis Blues this year. Even though they had to go up against the Blackhawks in the first round of the playoffs, at least they had the earliest possible Game 7, and they were still given a few days off from there to recover. Game 1 against the Dallas Stars won't be easy for sure, especially knowing how hard it's been for opponents to win at the AAC all year long.
NHL Playoff Odds at BookMaker.eu
St. Louis Blues +105
Dallas Stars -125
Over/Under 5 (over -125)
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Stars really have to make this an up and down series. The Blues are going to want to slow things down and make it a grind. It's going to be fascinating to watch over the course of the next couple weeks for sure.
Dallas is the -125 favorite on the moneyline in Game 1, a total which almost feels low for a club which is now 30-11-3-0 at home in 2015-16.
The total of 5 and -125 vig on the over is rather par for the course for this postseason.
GOALIE REPORT
Kari Lehtonen lost his job to Antti Niemi in the opening round of the playoffs, but he regained it when Niemi posted a 3.36 GAA in his two games in the pipes. In fairness, Lehtonen wasn't bad against Minnesota with a 2.27 GAA and a .911 save percentage, but he's going to need to be better than that against the Blues for sure.
Brian Elliott's effectiveness waned as the days went on in the playoffs, too. He finished the job in Game 7 with his back to the wall, and his raw stats are good for the postseason at 4-3 with a 2.40 GAA and a .929 save percentage. However, over the last three games, his save percentage is under .900, and that won't cut it versus one of the best offensive teams in the league.
LIVE BETTING
Even with Tyler Seguin on the shelf, the Stars have still been shining brightly. Jamie Benn had a whopping 10 points in six games versus Minnesota and was +5, while Jason Spezza had four goals and five helpers. Patrick Sharp came on strong at times with his three goals, and Alex Goligoski was fantastic on both sides of the ice, including netting two goals to help the cause.
Dallas isn't rolling lines quite as effectively as St. Louis is, though. The Blues will have a real edge here with the third and fourth lines on the ice, as guys like Robby Fabbri and Jori Lehtera came out of nowhere in the opening round of the playoffs to shock the Blackhawks.
QUICK PICK
The Blues really feel destined to come down off of their high of beating Chicago at some point soon, and heading into Dallas probably won't help their cause any. The Stars are just really good on their home ice, and even without Seguin, their front line is just in a different stratosphere right now.
St. Louis will get its games in this series by being the grittier of the two teams; Minnesota proved that you can outwork this Dallas side for sure. We just don't think that it's going to happen after the emotional rollercoaster that Chicago series turned out to be.
NHL Odds: Stars 4, Blues 2
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