How did we get here? Game seven Stanley Cup Final everything is on the line. In the history of the NHL there have been 16 game 7's in the Stanley Cup Final, this year we will have the 17th. The last time a game 7 was played in the final the Bruins hosted the Cup in Vancouver back in 2011. The parallels there gives an advantage to the Bruins but at the same time the home team has not won the Stanley Cup since 2015 when the Chicago Blackhawks bested the Tampa Bay Lightning.
There is a lot of hype going into a game 7 in any series, so much so that players often want to just focus on the game and forget about what is going on around them. Mike Rupp of NHL Network shared this insight on what it's like for the players.
You don't want to think about it, you just want to play the game.
Players will often do whatever they can to take their mind off the game with days off. Ryan O'Reilly, top center for the St. Louis Blues who has 21 points this playoff run, spent his day off buying a Bruins fan a guitar.
Let's try and look into the mind of a player for a minute, it's game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. You have been working your entire life to get to this point, to be able to win the Stanley Cup. This is the scenario you played in your driveway with your friends day in and day out, game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. Everyone in your family wants to be there, to witness you hopefully come out on top, and the worst part is, you are required to get your own tickets. There is so much riding on these players, which is why the advantage to me goes to the St. Louis Blues.
Boston has the experience, but they also have the home crowd, with relatives staying at their house wanting to be there for the biggest moment of their careers, and for them it is not just another game. For the Blues on the other hand they are on the road in the hotel with the team. They might have to take care of some family, but it still is a business trip for the Blues.
The series between the Bruins and the Blues has been anything but predictable. People thought Boston would run away with this in 5 games, here we are in a game 7 with everything on the line. I just hope this game is close, two of the games in this series have been blowouts for the Bruins. If Boston takes the Stanley Cup, my expected Conn Smythe trophy winner would be either Tuukka Rask or Brad Marchand. If St. Louis comes out on top I believe the Conn Smythe will go to either Jordan Binnington or Ryan O'Reilly.
The broadcast starts at 7 tonight for the final hockey game of the 2018-2019 season.
