Boston at St. Louis

Fans are ready to bury Boston after losing five in a row, but hold on a moment. They lost only one game in January as several top players got healthy, a key kid was brought up from the minors to help the offense, and the defense improved vastly. Now they are in a mini-slump losing the last two by one goal each. Three of their last six defeats have been by one goal. Boston is still ranked #9 in the NHL in goals allowed and #10 in penalty killing. Boston went 8-1-3 in January. St. Louis is a big favorite, but is on a 3-3 run losing as favorites of -120, -175 and -210. They lost 7-1 as -175 chalk and lost the last game, 4-1 as -210 chalk. St. Louis goalie Brian Elliott has a 3.24 goals-against average in eight starts since the All-Star break, prior to which his 1.86 mark ranked #5 in the NHL. Boston goalie Tuukka Rask owns a 1.53 GAA versus St. Louis - his second-best mark among West opponents - and made 33 saves in a 2-0 home win over the Blues on Nov. 28 as he out-dueled Elliott. Boston has earned at least a point in eight straight trips to St. Louis (3-0-5), so grab the undervalued big dog and play Boston.