Hockey fans have waited long enough. On Monday night at 8 p.m. ET, the Stanley Cup Final rubber hits the road.
The Boston Bruins are 10 days removed from sweeping the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final and appear to be better on paper than the St. Louis Blues, who needed six games to oust the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference final.
But the Blues should not be overlooked; they've been one of the best teams in the NHL since hitting rock bottom in early January and have won three straight playoff games by a combined score of 12-2.
So, who has the edge in Bruins vs. Blues entering Monday's Game 1 at TD Garden? You've read our Tale of the Tape and our experts' predictions, both of which favor the Black and Gold.
But the national consensus on the Stanley Cup Final is a bit more ambivalent. Here's a roundup of writers' predictions for Bruins vs. Blues from across the country.
Joe Haggerty, NBC Sports Boston: Bruins in 7
Pierre LeBrun, The Athletic: Blues in 6
Amalie Benjamin, NHL.com: Bruins in 5
Nicholas J. Cotsonika, NHL.com: Blues in 6
Greg Wyshynski, ESPN.com: Blues in 6
Emily Kaplan, ESPN.com: Bruins in 7
Kevin Allen, USA TODAY: Bruins in 6
Neil Greenberg, Washington Post: Bruins in 7
Corey Abbott, Rotoworld: Blues in 6
Brett Cyrgalis, New York Post: Bruins in 6
Boston Bruins
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