Hawks vs Blues Hockey Betting?
Blackhawks and Blues in Crucial Game 5 Friday Night
The Chicago Blackhawks did their part winning both games on home ice and evening their first round series against the St. Louis Blues. The Blues have lost all momentum gained in the first two games of the series and will be happy to see the inside of the Scottrade Center where they won the first two games of the series and have claimed victory all five times they have hosted Chicago this year.
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Chicago (48-21-9-8) at St. Louis (54-24-5-3)
When: 8:00 PM ET, Friday, April 25, 2014
Where: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Missouri
Broadcast: CBC, RDS2, NBCSN, CSN-CH, FS-MW
Series tied 2-2
Hawks vs. Blues Betting Lines
In Canada? Try Pinnacle Sportsbook
Chicago Blackhawks +1½ -310 +101 Ov 5 -116
St Louis Blues -1½ +260 -111 Un 5 +105
The status of David Backes is still up in the air – the one thing we have come to learn is that the Blues are a different team without him in the lineup. Will Chicago’s momentum carry forward to Game 5 or will the Blues’ dominance over Chicago on home ice continue? We know it will be close – three of the four games have gone to Overtime and the other game was 1-0 before an empty netter made it a 2-0 final.
The Chicago Blackhawks look more like the team we all expected when we started the playoffs – Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are back to their Studly form and the team is scoring some goals as a result. Toews has a goal and four assists so far in the series and Kane has three goals and one assist in the series after scoring twice and assisting on a goal in Game 4. If these guys are going the Hawks are in good shape going forward – it frees up some space for the supporting cast as well as keeps Chicago’s elite overall offense clicking.
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Corey Crawford has been good in the series thus far – particularly the games in Chicago where he earned a shutout in Game 3 and gave up three goals in Game 4. He is 2-2 with a 2.21 GAA and .927 save percentage in the four games – the eventual return of Brent Seabrook from suspension will strengthen the Hawks in their own zone as well.
The St. Louis Blues have been the better team for three of the four games in the series – Game 3 was in their reach but in the end the Hawks stole one in their own building. Besides the absence of David Backes there is another glaring problem with the Blues as we head into Game 5. The power play was 1-for-8 in Chicago and is just 2-for-21 in the series. Special Teams has to tighten up for the Blues if they hope to go ahead in this series!
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Offensive the Blues have been buoyed by Vladimir Terasenko who has a league-leading four goals in the series thus far. Chicago has had no answer for Terasenko – he has been the best Blues players on the ice night-in and night-out. Alex Steen has just one point (a goal), TJ Oshie is pointless, Patrik Berglund hasn’t hit the score sheet and is a minus 4 in the series and Jay Bouwmeester is also pointless. St. Louis will need their big guys to step up in the series or risk going down 3-2
The Blues are getting some quality goaltending from their prize trade-deadline acquisition Ryan Miller – but he has yet to steal a game for the Blues. Miller is 2-2 with a 2.24 GAA and .914 save percentage – not quite as good as his counterpart Corey Crawford.
Dave’s FREE NHL Betting Prediction
A few trends to consider:
• Over is 6-1-1 in CHI last 8 vs. Central.
• Over is 6-1-1 in CHI last 8 vs. Western Conference.
• Under is 15-5 in CHI last 20 games following a win.
• STL are 2-8 in their last 10 overall.
• Under is 18-5-4 in STL last 27 Fri. games.
• STL are 2-7 in their last 9 vs. Central.
• Home team is 39-18 in the last 57 meetings.
The pendulum has officially swung Chicago’s way. It appears as though Brent Seabrook’s absence isn’t nearly as devastating as David Backes’s. Although the home team has won every game so far in the series and the Hawks haven’t won in St. Louis in their last five trips I like them to carry the “mo” in this game and prove why they are Cup contenders. It took a while for the real Chicago Blackhawks to show up but now is their time.
Pick: Chicago Blackhawks +101
