The Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues will continue their first-round playoff series on Wednesday. The series is tied at two games apiece heading into the pivotal Game 5 on Wednesday.
Vancouver won the first two games of this series, but the Blues have responded with wins in games three and four. St. Louis is the defending Stanley Cup champions, and Vancouver is a young team that is getting their first taste of the playoffs.
The St. Louis Blues are -150 in this Game 5 over the Vancouver Canucks.
Blues Getting Great Goaltending
The St. Louis Blues have gone back to veteran Jake Allen in net, and that has helped to turn the series around for the Blues. Allen has been terrific in the two most recent wins and has stopped 96 percent of the shots he has faced this postseason.
St. Louis has tightened up their defense in front of Allen, and they are starting to look like a team that won the Stanley Cup a season ago. The Blues allowed just 2.66 goals per game this season, and their defense will carry them deep into these playoffs.
Ryan O’Reilly leads the Blues with six assists and nine total points during the postseason, and he has been clutch for St. Louis. St. Louis will be without Vladimir Tarasenko after the star left the bubble for more testing on an injury.
Canucks Looking For More Offense
The Vancouver Canucks scored nine total goals during their first two wins in this series, but their offense has vanished of late. Part of that problem has been the Blues’ terrific defense, but Vancouver still needs to be more active on that end.
Elias Pettersson and Bo Horvat are the two young stars for the Canucks, and they have to carry the team in this game. Pettersson has racked up nine total points in the postseason, and Bo Horvat has a team-high six goals.
Vancouver does not have a terrific defensive team, and they will need to win this game with their offense. Goaltender Jakob Markstrom has started all eight playoff games for the Canucks, and he has been up and down.
Markstrom does have one shutout in the playoffs, and the Canucks could use another performance like that in this game.
Defending Champs Win Third Straight
The St. Louis Blues lost their first five games in the restart, and they didn’t look good doing it. St. Louis had a ton of things to fix, but it appears that they turned things around starting in Game 3 of the series.
Vancouver took control of the series early, but now they have their backs against the wall. They gave the defending Stanley Cup champions new life, and now they will be the underdogs once again.
St. Louis is rolling now, and they will find a way to win their third straight and take a 3-2 series lead. Bet the St. Louis Blues -150 over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night.
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