The defending Stanley Cup Champions will open the Year at home against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night.
This matchup pits the 2017-18 champions against the most champs. This was an improbable run on the very best to the Blues. They moved from dead last in the league with the Stanley Cup hoisted over their heads to the peak of the hill.
On January 3rd, the Blues were sitting in the league prior to going on a run for the ages. The Blues would win 11 straight games from January 23rd to February 19th, providing some expectation in St. Louis that they can attain the playoffs. The win streak was a franchise listing. They published a listing of 12-1-1, which has been a franchise record to the Blues.
From the end of their season, the Blues had accumulated a listing of. St. Louis was the first team since the 1996-97 Senators to hit the playoffs following sitting last after New Years Day. As the Blues won the Stanley Cup on the Boston Bruins in Game 7, the best was yet to come. So, how did this all happen for the Blues?
Their monster runs start can be accredited to a reversal of goaltenders. A guy the Blues felt comfortable with enough to let Brian Elliott walk, jake Allen was benched for rookie Jordan Binnington. This was the movement of this year, as Binnington was the first rookie goaltender since Al Rollins with the Maple Leafs in 1950-51 to complete with a GAA of 1.89 or lower. We must give credit to the group however, Binnington actually nearing the run.
The Capitals flamed out from the Carolina Hurricanes from the play. The Hurricanes were brewing up a historic run but could not accomplish exactly what the Blues did. Although itd be foolish to drop them, the heart of washington is not getting any younger. The team that won the Cup just two years ago is still intact for the most part. Together with Alexander Ovechkin, the Caps are constantly likely to be a threat. Head below for our free Capitals vs. Blues pick to open the season Wednesday.
The Capitals will proceed into their first three matches of the regular season. Evgeny Kuznetsov will working out a suspension as a consequence of failing a drug test. Fortunately it is just a ban and it wont have effects. The NHL was in a spot where they had to do anything. There was even also video of him so there was.
Having said that, the Capitals continue to be packed with talent offensively. Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Wilson give the Capitals a powerful punch on the top line ahead. Chandler Stephenson likely benefits the most from the Kuznetsov suspension. He has had a tremendous camp and is being rewarded using a spot on the next line for it. Stephenson is a speedster and hes placed on a line with a great deal of speed. This line needs to be a sleeper for the Caps tonight.
Ovechkin, Oshie, Ellers, and Backstrom are suiting up on Wednesday night, so despite no Kuznetsov, the Capitals should be nice . Ovechkin won his Rocket Richard Trophy as the goal getter season. Hes getting old, but still notched 51 goals. Binnington will likely soon be in net for the Blues hence the Caps confront a tall arrangement between the pipes. Nevertheless, this is his first full year as a starting goaltender in the NHL. Can we see that a sophomore slump of forms following what he did?
Binnington ultimately finished the year with a 1.89 GAA and .927 save percentage in the regular time. That number jumped somewhat to a 2.46 GAA and 0.914 save percentage in the playoffs. Binnington was phenomenal, however with a small sample size into his profession, I believe were still at a stage where he hasnt found his equilibrium. The way I see it, its greater than a 2.00 GAA, and therefore dont hesitate to visit Binnington flirting with a thing around a 2.40 GAA by the end of the season. That would still be a fantastic season for him.
Holtby goes within a contract period into 2019-2020. Hell be searching for one last payday after this past year. His numbers dont indicate that a team will be inclined to pay him money. Holtby finished with a 2.82 GAA and 0.911 save percentage. He had been cold and hot . It had been previously his career averages of 2.47 and 0.918.
In addition to Holtby, Backstrom is seeking a new contract next offseason. Expect both of these appearing to establish something out of the gates Wednesday night. The home is meant to get a night to watch for the Blues. However, theyve got an opponent coming to St. Louis attempting to demonstrate their time as an elite team isnt done. The oddsmakers arent giving much respect to the traffic.
This ought to be a fantastic matchup and it turned out to be a move by the NHL to put them on the opening night. Expect the Blues to be just a bit too excited. Call it a hangover or whatever you need, however I believe company and Ovechkin are going to place a damper on the party Wednesday. In what needs to be a closer game than the odds indicate, the Caps would be the better value here.
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