Sean O'Brien's injury will come as a 'huge blow' to Ireland's World Cup plans, says former fly-half Tony Ward.

Leinster flanker O'Brien, 32, faces a six-month lay-off with a hip injury.

The absence of the two-time British and Irish Lions tourist means Ireland coach Joe Schmidt must forge a new back-row combination before the tournament.

"O'Brien is one of those players in the dressing room who is a 'go to player'. He's a player you always want alongside you going into battle," said Ward.

O'Brien, who featured in four of Ireland's matches in this year's Six Nations, is the second open-side specialist to be ruled out Ireland's World Cup campaign after his Leinster team-mate Dan Leavy suffered a knee ligament injury in March.

"It is a huge blow. In an area where we have been so strong for so long, with players of the quality of Dan Leavy and Sean O'Brien it is a big loss," added Ward.

"There are still options there, and clearly CJ Stander could be moved from number eight to allow Jack Conan to move into that position and Stander could then possibly play either open-side or blind-side, but no matter how you dress it up it's a big blow losing O'Brien at this stage."

Schmidt has spent much of the four years since Ireland's 2015 World Cup quarter-final exit expanding his pool of players, but the injury to O'Brien is another unwanted problem as the Irish medical staff hope for a positive update on the fitness of line-out specialist Devin Toner.

Ward added: "Joe knows that he can rely on Sean and he plays the type of game that Joe likes to play.

"He's similar to Stander in that he is a very direct ball carrier but O'Brien is a player that Joe has always placed his faith in and this is a setback for Joe and for Ireland.

"Other players will come in but I do think this is a blow at this point in the build up between him and Devin Toner coming off in the Leinster Pro14 semi-final against Munster, they're two big blows to two key players as they begin the warm-up for the World Cup."

A former European Player of the Year, O'Brien has already agreed to join London Irish next season, leaving his international future in doubt because of Ireland's preference to select home-based players - although that policy could change under incoming head coach Andy Farrell.

"Nobody expected him to be ruled out of the World Cup and to be ruled out for a significant amount of time," said former Ireland and Ulster flanker Stephen Ferris.

"From my own personal point of view, you never really know when your last international game is going to be because rugby is such a physical sport and you pick up injuries along the way.

"I finished my international career with a pretty disappointing defeat away to England in 2011 so he'll be disappointed for sure and the whole of Irish rugby will be too because when Sean O'Brien is on his game he's one of the best back rowers in the world.

"Everybody thinks now that he might be past his best with all these injuries but he's a big-game player and Ireland will certainly miss him in Japan."

LAKE CITY, Mich. – Dona Marcoullier earned a $4,000 payday during Sunday’s American Ethanol Late Model Tour event at Merritt Speedway.

It seemed as though track position would be everything during Sunday’s 40-lap feature as passing was nearly unseen leading up to the main event.

Rusty Schlenk and Brandon Thirlby would lead the field to the green flag and the race was, quite literally, on. Thirlby used momentum off the top of turn two to power around into the lead on the opening lap.

Thirlby appeared to be opening up a gap on second-place Schlenk, when suddenly the No. CJ1 of Schlenk found new life. As the leaders neared in on back markers, Schlenk made his move to the inside of Thirlby’s No. M14, and took the top spot just before the halfway point.

Thirlby started to slide back to third place running Travis Stemler when Schlenk would have problems with backmarkers. The pair went side-by-side for the lead, behind a pair of side-by-side back markers – Thirlby would find the fast line around the bottom, and edge pack ahead of Schlenk.

As they did that, it allowed Stemler and Dona Marcoullier to reel them in. Thirlby began to try and put lapped cars between he and Schlenk, but with 11 laps to go, the caution waved for a single car spin that allowed Schlenk to get right back behind Thirlby.

On the ensuing restart, the entire feel of the race changed when fourth starting Marcoullier took Thirlby and Schlenk three wide down the back straightaway, jumping into the lead in turn three.

Schlenk would find a way around Thirlby and the dash to the finish was a good one. Two single car spins with seven laps to go would not phaze the two time AELMT champion, and Marcoullier went on to victory lane.

Schlenk finished second, Thirlby was third, Rich Bell took fourth and Travis Stemler rounded out the top five.

The finish:

Dona Marcoullier, Rusty Schlenk, Brandon Thirlby, Rich Bell, Travis Stemler, Dennis Erb Jr., Frank Heckenast Jr., Nick Kurtz, Rich Neiser, Chad Finley, Steven Hilliker, Dave Baker, Andrew Terrill, Herb Reich, David Mielke, Eric Spangler, Rob Anderzack, Dusty Moore, Kyle Novak, Mike Staszak, Jason Playter Jr., Kyle Roberts, Michael Luberda, Logan Arntz, Joe Godsey, Josh Knoll.

CALIFORNIA, Mo. — Tyler Blank and Wesley Smith captured sprint car features Sunday night at Double-X Speedway.

The headline division on the card was the POWRi WAR Sprint Cars with the final feature event of the evening.

Brad Wyatt and Quinton Benson led the field to the green in the marquee event. Benson would move out to the early lead while the racing was going on behind him. Wesley Smith moved into second and moved to the rear bumper of the leader when the caution flew with seven laps in the books for Samuel Wagner and Brian Beebe.

On the restart, Benson continued to lead with Smith giving chase. Fans eyes were on Tyler Blank as he started at the rear of the field and was knocking on the top ten on the restart. On the restart Wesley Smith held off a hard charging Riley Kreisel and then set his sights on Benson. The two would dance around the oval high and low until Smith was able to make the pass on the low side of the back stretch.

Benson would settle into second with Joe B. Miller in third. Riley Kreisel, Korey Weyant and Jack Wagner were al racing hard for position behind the leaders.

At the checkered flag, it was Smith picking up the winners hardware. Hard charging Joe B. Miller came across second, Benson held on for third, Jack Wagner was fourth and Korey Weyant completed the top five.

The winged sprint car feature saw Tyler Blank have to pass the leader twice to pick up win No. 3 on the season. The earlier pass was negated by a caution flag relegating Blank to second behind leader Taylor Walton.

On the restart, it was obvious that Blanks JR1 Chassis would get better as the run went on and he was able to pass Walton one more time, this time for keeps as he collected feature win number three on the season at Double X. Walton would finish a strong second, Riley Kreisel finished third with only a handful of winged sprint car starts to his credit, Quinton Benson finished fourth and Randy Martin was fifth.

Kyle Smith earned his second victory of the season in the hobby stock division and John Clancy Jr. won the super stock main event.

The finish:

Wesley Smith, Joe B. Miller, Quinton Benson, Jack Wagner, Korey Weyant, Kaitlyn Leer, Riley Kreisel, Kory Schudy, Tyler Blank, Chris Morgan, Broc Elliott, Neal Matsukas, Brad Wyatt, Samuel Wagner, Braydon Cromwell, Jason Billups, Brian Beebe, Chris Parkinson, Slater Helt.

ELDON, Mo. — Logan Seavey rolled from sixth on the grid to win Sunday night’s POWRi Lucas Oil National and West Midget League feature at Lake Ozark Speedway.

At the drop of the green flag, Jim Neuman Racing teammates Jake Neuman and Ace McCarthy dueled each other for the top position with Neuman holding the lead over McCarthy as Seavey, Tucker Klaasmeyer, and Jesse Colwell dueled on back. With eight laps in the books, the red was displayed for Kaylee Bryson who got upside down hard in turn one after catching a right rear. Coming back to green flag racing, Neuman again powered back into the lead, but it wasn’t long before Seavey took over the top position.

As the laps grew longer, it appeared nobody would have anything for Seavey. That is until the last 10 laps, when Zach Daum began his ascent into the top five on his way to a podium finish.

With the final caution on lap 27, Seavey led Klaasmeyer and Daum back to green, but Daum edged past Klaasmeyer for second and moved closer to pressuring Seavey. As the laps wound down, Klaasmeyer did everything he could to regain the second position, but in the ensuing chase, ended up sliding back to fourth as Jesse Colwell took over the third position to round out the podium.

“I was talking to my crew chief, Connor, after the heat race and I told him I was going to commit to the bottom; I didn’t think the bottom was going to slow down and he wasn’t totally sure about that, but I was pretty sure,” said Seavey. “He believed in me and we set it up for the bottom. I struggled for the first few laps to get around the racetrack, but then this thing really took off. It got really tricky on both ends of the racetrack and I saw the 5 moving up on the scoreboard, so I figured I better hit the bottom so he doesn’t sneak by. Overall, this was a fun race.”

“We were horrible early, we didn’t really come in until the last ten laps or so,” said Zach Daum. “We got better at the end. It was a little tight early, but we finished the race and we’re on the podium.”

The finish:

Logan Seavey, Zach Daum, Jesse Colwell, Tucker Klaasmeyer, Jake Neuman, Ace McCarthy, Holley Hollan, Chance Morton, Andrew Felker, Hank Davis, Kade Morton, Mark Billings, Luke Howard, Merril Lamb, Gunner Ramey, Garet Williamson, Rick Horn, Cannon McIntosh, Daison Pursley, Emilio Hoover, Kaylee Bryson, Justin Fernandez, Trey Marcham.

FREMONT, Ohio — Aaron Reutzel romped from 11^thstarting position to win Sunday night’s Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 feature at Fremont Speedway.

Reutzel’s impressive charge to the top of the podium did not require all 40 main event circuits, as the defending All Star champion took the lead for the first time on lap 12, utilizing a restart on lap 11 to drive around Tim Shaffer for the runner-up spot, soon followed by a second slingshot move in turns one and two to drive around race leader, Paul McMahan, the following circuit.

Impressive enough, the $5,000 victory bumped Reutzel’s career win total with Tony Stewart’s All Star Circuit of Champions to 11, each of those occurring at a different race track.

McMahan held on to maintain second at the final checkers, followed by rookie-of-the-year contender Skylar Gee, a fast closing Christopher Bell from 12th, and local standout Craig Mintz.

“This isn’t Ohio racing. This is a night when a guy can drive really hard & make a difference,” Ruetzel said. “A big thanks going out to the track and fans for sticking this one out and making this happen for us. We just want to race! Oh, and for the guy booing me, stop down when we’re done here and I’ll sign you an autograph.”

Despite starting 11th on the grid, Reutzel wasted little time powering his way toward the front of the field. By lap five, with the added help of a caution, Reutzel was able to advance his way to fifth, eventually battling his way around Brock Zearfoss for the fourth position with only nine laps recorded.

A slowing Tyler Esh, who was racing just ahead of Reutzel, soon pulled to a stop on the speedway, not only allowing Reutzel the opportunity to restart in the third position, but it also gave the Texan a clear takeover attempt on the restart.

When green flags flew again, Reutzel pounced, this time utilizing an impressive slingshot move through turns one and two to drive around Shaffer for the runner-up position. It was just one circuit later when Reutzel repeated his power move through the first and second corners, skimming the narrow cushion to blast by McMahan to officially lead lap 12.

From that point forward, it was all Aaron Reutzel at the front of the field, and although the Texan was forced to deal with periods of heavy traffic during the later stages of the 40-lap program, as well as two more stoppages in the form of cautions – one of which a red flag incident involving Brock Zearfoss, Tim Shaffer and Buddy Kofoid.

“He’s a champion for a reason,” McMahan said. “They have a solid team, so hats off to those guys for what they are able to do. [Aaron Reutzel] just about sucked my tear-offs off when he blew by me coming out of [turn two]. He showed me the top, so I was able to move up there and hang with him. I can’t thank my group of misfits enough. They work hard and I appreciate what they do.”

The finish:

Feature (40 laps): 1. 87-Aaron Reutzel [11]; 2. 13-Paul McMahan [1]; 3. 99-Skylar Gee [10]; 4. 39-Christopher Bell [12]; 5. O9-Craig Mintz [9]; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [15]; 7. 49X-Tim Shaffer [4]; 8. 70X-Spencer Bayston [7]; 9. 22-Brandon Spithaler [13]; 10. 11-Dale Blaney [14]; 11. 35B-Stuart Brubaker [6]; 12. 26-Cory Eliason [21]; 13. 16-DJ Foos [16]; 14. 9-Dean Jacobs [20]; 15. 19-Paige Polyak [18]; 16. O7-Gerard McIntyre [17]; 17. 97-Caleb Helms [22]; 18. 40-George Hobaugh [19]; 19. 3J-Trey Jacobs [24]; 20. 11N-Buddy Kofoid [5]; 21. 70-Brock Zearfoss [3]; 22. 35-Tyler Esh [2]; 23. 57X-Andrew Palker [23]; 24. 1-Nate Dussel [8] Lap Leaders: Paul McMahan (1-11), Aaron Reutzel (12-40)

When attending the Stanley Cup Final as a visiting fan, there are some essential tasks to be completed, like booking travel and snagging tickets. If that latter task comes up short, there's always the chance to hit one of the two cities involved in the series, and marinate in the hockey hype among the locals.

The Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues provide hockey cities with their own traditions, sights and smells. And beer. Lots and lots of beer. Here's a look at what you'll discover if you hit the road to the Stanley Cup in Beantown or the Gateway to the West.

Boston Bruins

Arena traditions: The Bruins have one of the best pregame traditions in the NHL with their "fan banner." It features a giant Bruins flag that's passed around the lower bowl of the arena by the fans. (Hence: "fan banner.") It also features a series of Boston luminaries who wave a fan banner flag, from local sports icons (Pedro Martinez, Julian Edelman) to Boston natives (Aly Raisman) to inspirational figures such as survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing.

The other fan-centric tradition is the blaring of Bon Jovi's classic "Livin' on a Prayer," which oddly has become to the Bruins what "Sweet Caroline" is to the Red Sox. D.J. Bean of NBC Sports Boston found the tradition strikingly ordinary, considering the ubiquity of the song: "The culprit here is the Garden for making this happen, but just as much blame falls on the shoulders of the fans for participating and thus perpetuating it for multiple games. They should know better."

Arena eats: Bruins fans will tell you that the TD Garden concessions are nothing on which to splurge, outside of the occasional loaded nachos. But Sportservice, Delaware North-owned food operator for the arena, is sending in some ringers for the Cup Final: The Doughnut Burger at Big Bad Burger is "a double cheeseburger sandwiched between two glazed doughnuts with bacon, fried jalapeños and crispy onions." (We've had it ... it's filling.) The Cheese and Steak Hot Dog at the Frito-Lay Test Kitchen is "a footlong, bacon-wrapped hot dog, topped with steak and cheese." (We've had it ... it's messy.)

Arena area hangouts: The Greatest Bar (262 Friend St.) is four floors, many TVs and a booming sound system. The Warren Tavern (2 Pleasant St.) has stiff drinks and a legacy that dates to Paul Revere. Sullivan's Tap (168 Canal St.) is a glorious cash-only dive bar with pool tables in the back. The Fours (166 Canal St.) is a sports bar where you can order "The Bobby Orr," a.k.a. hand-cut charbroiled steak tips with melted cheese on a roll. Bodega Canal (57 Canal St.) has an exceptional coconut margarita. For pregame and postgame pizza, Halftime Pizza (115 Causeway St.) is an institution.

If it's strictly good eats you're looking for, the North End is just a 12-minute walk from the Garden. It's a labyrinthine neighborhood that houses Boston's Little Italy, filled with iconic local restaurants and delectable pastries, like Mike's Pastry (300 Hanover St.), home to a world famous cannoli.

Breweries: Night Shift Brewing (1 Lovejoy Wharf) opened up an outpost near TD Garden, bringing killer craft brews within walking distance. Trillium Brewing Company (50 Thomson Place) is the gold standard for local brews, with a dizzying selection of IPAs. Tree House Brewing Company (Charlton, Mass.) is your brewery for a pilgrimage, as it's an hour away from the arena but has a following that demands you take the journey. We would be remiss if we didn't mention the Sam Adams Brewery (30 Germania St.), which is very popular, as anyone who has visited it can attest for better or worse.

St. Louis Blues

Arena traditions: Going to a Blues game, it's best to apply the "little old lady at church" rule, i.e. find someone who seems as if they know what they're doing and follow along. It starts with the national anthem, as retiring singer Charles Glenn brings it to its big finish with "the land of the freeeeee, and the home of the..." That's where the fans bellow "BLUUUUUUUUES!" in unison where "brave" is usually found. It's stirring. Glenn occasionally makes an appearance during the game to belt out the team's official theme song "When the Blues Go Marching In," a sing-a-long that dates to their nascent franchise days in the late 1960s.

When the Blues go on the power play, you'll see "The Power Play Dance," as fans thrust their arms up and down in the air -- think the Daniel Bryan "Yes!" chant, but without the finger pointing. There's "The Towel Man," a.k.a. Ron Baechle, who leads the crowd in counting how many goals the Blues have scored before tossing a towel into the stands. (His jersey reads "Towel Man, 123.")

There's the full-throated rendition of John Denver's "Country Roads" in the third period, which is actually a tradition that started this season during a blowout win over Nashville, when the arena played the song and the fans kept singing it during play. Finally, there's "Gloria," the team's victory song this season. The Laura Branigan 1980s pop classic plays after wins, and the fans shout out the name of the song when it arrives in the song. (The rest of the lyrics? Not so much.)

Like we said, find the Blues equivalent of that little old lady in church. This is, like, an NCAA basketball game's worth of traditions.

Arena eats: There are a couple of outposts of famous local food spots inside Enterprise Center. Lion's Choice makes a towering roast beef sandwich. Sugarfire Smoke House brings some award-winning BBQ flavor. Brews of the Lou offers a sampling of local craft brews, a.k.a. the lifeblood of the local beverage scene.

Arena area hangouts: OK, here's the reality of the St. Louis Blues' surroundings. There aren't really "arena area hangouts." The arena is located in a part of town that is bereft of outstanding pregame and postgame options, as most of the land is consumed by government buildings and Union Station's train yard. Hence, the Jack Daniels Barrelhouse inside the arena actually remains open hours after the game so fans have a place to hang.

Instead, your best bet is to take the 10-minute car ride to The Hill district where you'll find all manner and sort of options, many of them terrific Italian red sauce spots. Pappy's Smokehouse (3106 Olive St.) is about a half-hour walk from the arena, and that could come in handy after gorging on some of the best Memphis-style BBQ in the city. Hi-Pointe Drive (1033 McCausland Ave.) is a burger institution. And if you're in St. Louis and haven't sampled Ted Drewes Frozen Custard (6726 Chippewa St.), well, the locals will tell you that you aren't doing it right.

Breweries: This is beer country, and we're not just talking about the Clydesdales at the Budweiser Brewery Experience (1200 Lynch St.), which is worth a trip at least once for the spectacle of the thing. No, we're talking about a multiplicity of different breweries. The great 4 Hands Brewing Company (1220 S 8th St.) makes some solid IPAs and killer stouts. Urban Chestnut Brewing Company (4465 Manchester Ave.) is only a seven-minute drive from the arena and also has a full kitchen. Center Ice Brewery (3126 Olive St.) is exactly as it sounds: a hockey-themed spot that actually has dasher boards surrounding their fermentation tanks. It's a four-minute drive from the arena. Schlafly (2100 Locust St.), an iconic local brewery, has a tap room that's about a five-minute drive away. Seriously, try any brewery in St. Louis, and you'll do fine.

The Stanley Cup Final begins Monday in Boston. Our NHL writers take a scalpel to the matchup, predict what bizarre NHL rules controversy might plague the Final and give their thoughts on Brad Marchand, "Gloria" and press box food. Plus, our series predictions!

Who will win the Stanley Cup?

Greg Wyshynski, senior NHL writer: Before we break down the Boston Bruins and the St. Louis Blues, let's put a bow on the first three rounds of the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. The majority of the NHL's glamour franchises were either out in the first round or in the draft lottery, yet this postseason has been really entertaining. Game 7 between the San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights will go down as one of the greatest series finales in NHL history -- or at the very least, the most controversial. The Tampa Bay Lightning getting swept by the Columbus Blue Jackets was one of the most exhilarating anti-climaxes in recent sports history. What stuck with you?

Emily Kaplan, national NHL reporter: Sixteen overtime games, five game 7s, three overtime game 7s and two double-overtime Game 7s? Insane. The first two weeks felt like some of the craziest hockey I've ever experienced. Yet despite the early wackiness -- including eight series upsets -- things normalized in the end. Two of the most complete teams are in the Final. Over the past two months of the regular season, the Blues (plus-30 goal differential in that span) and Bruins (plus-29) were two of the hottest teams, finishing second and fourth in points in that span, respectively. And let's note that the Carolina Hurricanes, the other Eastern Conference finalists, were third. These teams deserve to be here, and there's a reason everyone says we're headed for a slugfest. Actually, let's get into that a bit. Greg, what are you expecting, tone-wise, from this series?

Wyshynski: Sharks coach Peter DeBoer recently said that "the two hardest, heaviest teams are in the Final," which caused some snickers, given the existence of Torey Krug and Jaden Schwartz in the series. But I got his point: These are teams that are usually at their best when they're playing hard on the puck and like a battering ram in the offensive zone. These are two teams that like to exert their will through their forecheck and love to play with the lead (they're a combined 13-2 when leading after the first period). The Bruins have shown an ability to put teams away, getting 51.04 percent of the 5-on-5 shot attempts when leading by a goal. The Blues are just starting to figure that out -- a harsh education after the infamous hand pass loss in Game 3 against San Jose. That's the stylistic take. Emily, let's start taking a scalpel to this matchup, beginning with the goalies.

Kaplan: As good as Jordan Binnington has been, Tuukka Rask has been better and more consistent. Maintaining a .942 all-situations save percentage is going to be tough. Most people are expecting a slight regression. But I've been covering the Bruins all spring, and here's the stat I can't get over: In games in which Boston can clinch a series victory, Rask has gone 3-0, stopping 95 of 96 shots (a .990 save percentage). He has been stone-cold when it matters most. OK, now Binnington. He has had a few rougher outings this spring (including allowing six goals to the Jets in Game 3 of the first round), but overall he has impressed because of his unflappability. Even when you saw him lose his composure at the end of the hand pass game, he rebounded spectacularly (he stopped 75 of 77 shots the next three games, going 3-0). Goaltending storylines you'll hear ad nauseum: Rask's redemption tour (he's a big-game goalie, after all!), Binnington's stint with the Bruins' farm team and Binnington's pending contract negotiations. He hits restricted free agency and is going to get paid this summer. But in this series, the edge has to go to Rask.

Wyshynski: I'd give the edge to Rask as well, but I think Binnington has been outstanding when they've needed him -- namely, in the third period (in which the Blues have given up only 13 goals in 19 games) and after losses. I also think Rask has the edge in front of him. Ageless man/mountain Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy are the only pairing that's slightly in the red on possession at 5-on-5, but McAvoy leads Bruins defensemen with a 68.42 goals-for percentage. Brandon Carlo learned under Chara before becoming Torey Krug's partner, and it shows: He's an ideal counterpart to Krug's offense. Matt Grzelcyk and Connor Clifton have been an effective third option. For the Blues, Colton Parayko impressed me on both ends of the rink the past two rounds and does what he can while saddled with possession abyss Jay Bouwmeester (but hey, he's old and needs a Cup!). Parayko has been better than the more lauded Alex Pietrangelo, who has been inconsistent at best while playing with Joel Edmundson. If Vince Dunn is healthy, that's a boon to the blue line. They can figure out whether Carl Gunnarsson or Robert Bortuzzo should round out the group.

Kaplan: I consider Dunn's health a huge X factor. The Blues were able to finish off the Sharks without him, but St. Louis wasn't exactly facing a fully functioning Sharks roster at that point. Dunn is underrated and impressed me anytime I watched the Blues this season. On the forward front, both teams have some superstar-caliber talents, and we'll be treated to watching two of the best two-way forwards in the game: Ryan O'Reilly and Patrice Bergeron. The Blues often go as Vladimir Tarasenko goes, and the Russian winger is only getting better as the playoffs wear on. After scoring just two points in the first round (both goals) and three points in the second round (also goals), he sizzled with eight points (three goals, five assists) in six games against San Jose. However, Boston's top line, when clicking -- and they certainly have been clicking as the playoffs have worn on -- is superior to St. Louis'. I see Boston having the edge in the top six. But when it comes to depth forwards, St. Louis has an advantage, thanks to its fourth line of Oskar Sundqvist, Alexander Steen and Ivan Barbashev, a trio that has been a delight.

Wyshynski: I was really impressed by the way the Bruins' depth forwards came on the past two rounds. That might even things out as far as the forwards go. One line to keep an eye on: Tyler Bozak, Patrick Maroon and Robert Thomas, the latter of whom has been skipping skates due to what we assume is an injury. They were great against Dallas, trailed off against San Jose and play the kind of offensive game that's necessary to try to get to Rask. Beyond 5-on-5, the series could swing on special teams. The Bruins' power play is clicking, at 34.0 percent. For teams with a minimum of 15 postseason games, the Bruins' power play is second only to that of the 1980-81 New York Islanders (37.8 percent) in the past 40 playoff years. Boston's power play on the road is 41.7 percent, which is incredible. The Blues are at 19.4 percent, warming up against the Sharks in going 5-21 (23.8 percent). That's nice but not "second best in the past 40 years" nice. The Bruins also have the special-teams advantage on the penalty kill, at 86.3 percent, while the Blues are at 78.0 percent. Boston has the special-teams advantage here, but one note on St. Louis: The Blues have been short-handed only 41 times in 19 games. Better keep it that way. Emily, what about those off the ice. Any cosmic, team of destiny intangibles?

Kaplan: Let's not circumvent it. Unless you're from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island or parts of Connecticut -- or have some connection there or a connection to one of the players -- what on Earth are you doing rooting for the Bruins? A Boston win would mean 13 championships for the city in 18 years. Sure, it's cool to witness dominance, and the Bruins haven't won since 2011. There are also a few cool stories on their roster. David Backes, after spending his first 10 of 13 NHL years in St. Louis, gets his best shot at a Cup with Boston. Zdeno Chara, 42, is already a legend, but the captain could stand tall for the older guys everywhere in a league obsessed with youth.

But in the context of which team is more deserving? Just as the Hockey Gods rewarded Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals last June, it's time for St. Louis to have a moment. The Blues' journey is incredible. Three Stanley Cup Final appearances in the first three years of existence -- and nothing since. Sure, they've been good -- playoffs in 42 of 51 seasons, hence why we often bypass them in the discourse of treacherous championship droughts -- but they've never been great, and now is their chance. There are also plenty of nuggets to sway the casual fan. A team everyone left for dead in January made a historically stunning turnaround. The hometown boy (Patrick Maroon) who took less money to return home and be with his son. The rookie goalie who seemingly came out of nowhere. The Russian superstar (Vladimir Tarasenko) who came to the city knowing a few licks of English but became part of the community and an adopted son. Ryan O'Reilly rediscovering a purpose. The super fan, Laila Anderson, who inspired the locker room. The anthem singer who is finishing one last run before he must retire due to multiple sclerosis. That's a whole lot of positive juju tilting in the Blues' favor.

Wyshynski: OK, I think it's time to wrap this up with a lightning round.

Will Brad Marchand get a suspension in the Final?

Wyshynski: No. After punching a dude in the back of the head and hooking Justin Williams around the neck with nary a penalty, I think the supplemental discipline bar is set to "one-game suspension for manslaughter."

Kaplan: Marchand has gone the whole season thus far without discipline, and I think he keeps that streak intact. I'm sure he'll do something to irritate the Blues -- and St. Louis should be disciplined enough to not engage back. At most, Marchand will get a call from his friends at the Department of Player Safety, but it'll be a fine at most.

What truly bizarre NHL rules controversy will plague the Final?

Wyshynski: A game-winning overtime goal is disallowed because it was scored with a broken stick, the player instead gets a minor penalty, and the opposing team scores on the ensuing power play. If I have correctly predicted this, you all must drop to one knee and accept me as your new king.

Kaplan: Give me puck hits the netting before the team scores a goal, the refs don't notice, and therefore, they can't review. This happened against the Bruins earlier these playoffs (with much less fanfare than the hand pass debacle because it was in a less important situation), and there would be some poetry if it resurfaced when the stakes are higher.

Will TD Garden troll the Blues by playing "Gloria" after a win?

Wyshynski: No, but I fear what Boston-related trolling the Blues are going to cook up for games in St. Louis and whether it will involve the Jon Hamm scenes from "The Town."

Kaplan: No. They're too focused on everyone's favorite playoff anthem, "Old Town Road." (Hey, did you hear Lil Nas X is performing at the Final and plans to wear a Bruins sweater? Enough said.)

Who will have the better press box food?

Wyshynski: I can report that the Blues begin with an assortment of candy that includes Jolly Ranchers and York Peppermint Patties before they unveil two big cauldrons of fried ravioli and other fried goodness after the first period. So, uh, your move, Boston.

Kaplan: Boston's candy and dessert selection is quite impressive and includes Reese's Pieces, a big positive in my book. During last year's playoffs, some maniac diluted the Reese's Pieces jar with M&M's. That hasn't happened yet this spring, and I really hope I'm not jinxing it here.

OK, so who will win the Stanley Cup?

Wyshynski: Blues in six. There's a lot going for them both cosmically and logically, and if there's a team that can overcome a lack of home-ice advantage and find a way to get just enough past Rask, it's the Blues.

Kaplan: Bruins in seven. The red-hot top line, historically good power play and Rask (again, I can't imagine a steep regression from his playoff dominance so far) put Boston over the edge.