Stanley Cup Final preview: Plenty of Philly connections to the St. Louis Blues

Quick: Who was the Flyers coach after Peter Laviolette and before Dave Hakstol? Hint: His team is still alive.

In what could be the latest in a seemingly annual installment of “Hey, there’s a former Flyer raising the Stanley Cup,” Craig Berube and the St. Louis Blues take on the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final starting Monday.

Here’s a quick look at the series:

Boston -- Beat Toronto, 4-3; Columbus, 4-2; Carolina, 4-0

St. Louis -- Beat Winnipeg, 4-2; Dallas, 4-3; San Jose 4-2

Have won seven in a row and 10 of the last 12 since being down 3-2 in their first-round series against the Maple Leafs. They won Game 6 in Toronto and haven’t looked back. ... Goalie Tuukka Rask has a ridiculous .961 save percentage during the winning streak (nine goals allowed on 229 shots). It’s no wonder he is the heavy favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. ... Agitator Brad Marchand leads the Bruins with 18 points in 17 games (7 goals, 11 assists). ... Center David Backes played 10 seasons for the Blues, the last five as team captain, before signing with Boston prior to the 2016-17 season. ... The Bruins’ power-play has been lethal this postseason, hitting on 17 of 50 chances, including 7 of 15 against Carolina in the conference finals. That’s seven power-play goals in four games. Whoa.

» PLAY GLORIA! A St. Louis sensation that started in a Mummers clubhouse

Were last in the Western Conference when they came to Philadelphia on Jan. 6. Five of their players happened into a Mummers club that night for a raucous evening that included an Eagles playoff win over the Bears and plenty of the 1982 pop hit “Gloria.” It’s been a rallying cry for the team ever since. They beat the Flyers the following night when goalie Jordan Binnington recorded a shutout in the first start of his NHL career. ... Were shut out three times in six days in November, which led to the firing of Mike Yeo and the hiring of Berube as head coach. St. Louis went 38-19-6 under Berube, who knows all about longshots. He played in the NHL for 17 season (seven with the Flyers), despite starting as an undrafted free agent. He coached the Flyers for two seasons (2013-15) before being replaced by Hakstol. ... This is the Blues’ first trip to the Final since 1970, when they were swept by Boston. ... Former Flyer Brayden Schenn broke a 14-game scoring drought with a goal in the conference-final clincher against San Jose. Pat Maroon, a former Flyers draft pick, scored maybe the biggest goal in team history in double overtime in Game 7 of the conference semifinals against Dallas.

Boston beat the Blues, 5-2 in Boston on Jan. 17. They lost in a shootout in St. Louis on Feb. 23.

By the time Monday rolls around, Boston will have had 10 full days off between games, compared to five for St. Louis. Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy reached out to the New England Patriots for advice on how to handle the extended time between games.

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Boston is a moderate favorite for the series with a consensus money line of -$155. Blues prices range from +$128 at FanDuel to +$150 at the Borgata.

Boston bettors would need to bet $155 to win $100 (or $25 to win $16.13) if the Bruins win the series. St. Louis bettors at the Borgata would win $150 for every $100 wagered if the Blues win (or win $37.50 for a $25 wager).

The Blues have some major mojo going, but need to stay out of the penalty box. (Fun fact: their head coach is seventh all-time in career penalty minutes.) If they can get one of the first two games in Boston, they’ll win their first Stanley Cup. Blues in 6.

“We always believed we could do this. But it’s still an unbelievable feeling.”

– Blues right winger Vladimir Tarasenko.

“I don’t think the break will hurt him, other than you lose some of your sharpness of game intensity. I just see Tuukka not only as a goalie but as a person, as a really zoned-in guy right now. Really even-keeled. I don’t see why that would change in a week."

– Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy

The Associated Press contributed to this report.