Conn Smythe Odds Roundup: Rask Tops Contenders

by OddsShark (@OddsShark) – Sponsored Post

A goaltender has not won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the NHL playoffs since Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings earned it following his remarkable performance in 2012. But a pair of goalies are among the betting favorites to take home the award this year as the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues get ready to battle for the NHL championship in the 2019 Stanley Cup final starting on Monday at TD Garden.

Boston’s Tuukka Rask has played extremely well in helping his team make its third appearance in the Stanley Cup final in nine years. In the first, it was Tim Thomas who was between the pipes and won the Conn Smythe in leading the Bruins to their sixth Stanley Cup over the Vancouver Canucks in 2011. Rask took over for their next appearance in 2013, but the Chicago Blackhawks beat them in six games.

This year though, Rask has been a difference maker for Boston. He is 12-5 with a 1.84 goals-against average and .942 save percentage this postseason, leading the Bruins on a seven-game playoff winning streak for the first time since 1972. In the last two series clinchers, he also posted shutouts both times on the road, cementing his status as the -120 favorite (bet $120 to win $100) on the Conn Smythe odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.

Meanwhile, the Blues have a pair of top contenders at sports betting sites to win the Conn Smythe as well in winger Jaden Schwartz (+325) and goalie Jordan Binnington (+350). Schwartz has been the leading scorer for St. Louis in the postseason with 12 goals, after totaling just 11 during the regular season, and 16 points overall, including a pair of hat tricks.

However, Binnington has been equally important in net for the Blues despite being a 25-year-old rookie in the playoffs for the first time, going 12-7 with a 2.36 goals-against average and .914 save percentage. He earned his first postseason shutout on the road in Game 5 of the Western Conference final and allowed just two goals in the last three.

Other players who may be worth wagering on those NHL betting lines include Brad Marchand (+700), Patrice Bergeron (+1800) and David Pastrnak (+2000) for Boston and Vladimir Tarasenko (+2000) for St. Louis. Tarasenko had eight points (three goals and five assists) against the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference final and has 13 overall.

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