The 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs: Stanley Cup Final predictions

STANLEY CUP FINAL

Boston Bruins (2nd in Atlantic Division), Eastern Conference vs. St. Louis Blues (3rd in Central Division, Western Conference)
The Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues are the 2019 Stanley Cup Finalists. While Boston was among the favorites to make the Stanley Cup Final towards the start of the season, St. Louis were actually in last place in the NHL in January. Most had written them off to even make the playoffs around this point of the season, let alone make the Stanley Cup Final for only the fourth time in franchise history (the Blues, who entered the NHL in 1967-68, have never won a Stanley Cup). The Bruins and Blues have met in the playoffs twice, in 1970 and 1972, with Boston winning in a sweep both times. The former was in the 1970 Stanley Cup Final, which was notable for Bobby Orr's iconic Stanley Cup clinching goal known to hockey fans as "The Goal".

Prediction: Boston in five games.

Clean sweep Blues. That makes the Penguins the worst performer in playoff history and the clear cut 16th place team this season, because they got swept by a team that got swept in the second round and that team that swept them got swept in the Conference Final, and finally that team then gets swept in the Cup final.

Regardless of how many games it takes I'm rooting for St. Louis.

nevermore wrote:

Regardless of how many games it takes I'm rooting for St. Louis.

Even though I don't really follow hockey and even if I didn't live in St. Louis I'd still be pulling for the Blues because I'm sick and tired of the Boston area winning everything.   I mean I get the "humor" in this billboard but I seriously think that's how New Englanders feel.  Hell I spent 3 years in Connecticut and I KNOW that's how they feel:

https://www.uptoboston.com/boston-billboard-bemoans-citys-title-drought/

It's funny, I can't stand the Red Sox and am sick of the Pats but I still mildly root for the Bruins. I won't be sad if the Blues win though.

First two games have been close.

Nice to see former Hawk Nordstrom make an impact.

Imo, Chicago didn't give him much of a chance.

Game Four was the best game so far. Action and intensity.

Series goes back to Boston tied 2-2.

A good game five with some high drama right there. Bozak trips Acciari, refs don't even blink, Blues score the GWG.

That play is all over the news here; even STL sportscasters think that was a penalty.  But hey, so was the "hand pass" the Sharks got away with against the Blues so deal with it Bruins fans.

Whole different series and this one may have tipped the favor toward the Blues.

The point is the Blues dealt with it and came back to win the series.  If it's the Bruins' time they will too.

Ah, gotcha.

https://mobile.twitter.com/stlhensley/status/1136976557401096194

There's a local St. Louis guy who stands to win $100,000 if the Blues win.  Back in January when the Blues were in last place, this guy was in Las Vegas and placed a $400 bet on the Blues to win the Stanley Cub.  Odds were 250:1.  He's been offered $40K to buy off the bet but he refused.

http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/26935497/too-soon-ads-celebrating-blues-mistakenly-run

That's some bad karma right there.

Ouch!  Talk about jinxing it...

Going to be tough for the Blues to win that game 7.

Dark Horseman wrote:

Going to be tough for the Blues to win that game 7.

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I want them to (even though I predicted Boston would win at the start of the series, and have them in my pool), but I have a gut feeling they won't. I've been proven wrong at times, though.

The NHL is talking about expanding video review so like every other sport, even more time dragging on while the refs cluster around the video. Making it boring.

Not a Blues fan but I’m so happy for the franchise, this team and the city of St. Louis. Congrats, St. Louis Blues!

Fireworks going off around here.  Literally.

No team deserves it more. No city deserves it more. No franchise deserves it more.

There were 20,000 people at the Enterprise Center tonight to watch the game and more than 20,000 more at Busch Stadium to watch on the jumbotron despite the rain.  Plus another several thousand at Ballpark Village.  And all that money from tickets went to charity.  This place is going nuts and I'm not even in St. Louis "proper"; I'm about 40 miles away.