Blues Fold Like a Tent in Denver, Avalanche Roll 6-1 and Bury Our +1.5

So much for goaltending being a wash. The Avalanche torched Jordan Binnington for six goals and turned Ball Arena into a shooting gallery, handing the Blues a 6-1 shellacking that made our Blues +1.5 look foolish by the second period. We leaned on the idea that Mackenzie Blackwood's .871 save percentage couldn't justify Colorado laying the puck line, and that both netminders were struggling enough to keep this tight. Wrong. Blackwood didn't need to be spectacular when his teammates were lighting the lamp at will, and Binnington — who we noted at .873 SV% and 3.33 GAA — regressed to form in the worst way possible.

The Avalanche jumped early, never looked back, and covered -1.5 with room to spare. St. Louis managed one pity goal but otherwise had no answers for Colorado's speed and firepower. Our reasoning hinged on the historical truth that favorites cover the puck line under 47 percent of the time, but that's cold comfort when you run into a buzz-saw performance like this. The market priced Colorado as a public overlay at -295, and the public got paid. Sometimes the chalk cashes, and tonight it cashed emphatically. Tip your cap and move on — this one stings.