Boston Bruins vs Pittsburgh Penguins Predictions, Odds, Picks

• The Boston Bruins are on a two-game winning streak.
• The Boston Bruins are on a two-game winning streak.
• The Bruins are 1-1 against the Penguins this season.

Boston Bruins vs Pittsburgh Penguins Odds

Odds taken from DraftKings Sportsbook.

Boston Bruins vs Pittsburgh Penguins Predictions and Picks

The Boston Bruins will take on the Pittsburgh Penguins for the third time this season. The Bruins and Penguins have faced each other twice this season and played each other last on Saturday. The Penguins won that game 2-1 behind two first period goals.

Both of these teams have clinched playoff spots but want to improve their seeding or cement it. The Bruins are fighting for the third-place spot in the Atlantic Division, while the Penguins are trying to hold on to their third-place spot in the Metropolitan Division.

The Boston Bruins have not been the best team at any point this season, but they have been consistent enough to be dangerous and clinch a playoff position. They are looking for a few late-season victories to not only improve their seeding but also to gain momentum going into the playoffs.

The Bruins have some solid players but no stars. Left-winger Brad Marchand, right-winger David Pastrnak, center Patrice Bergeron, and defenseman Charlie McAvoy are the leaders on this team. Marchand has the highest TOI of all wingers and centers and has 42 assists; he is a veteran player and efficient passer. David Pastrnak is the leading goal scorer on this team and has 33 assists, Patrice Bergeron is in his late-30s but can still set up his teammates to score, and McAvoy is the best defenseman on this squad. He plays almost 25 minutes a game and leads the Bruins with 44 assists.

The Bruins do not have outstanding goaltenders. They use the platoon of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. Neither are great, but one of them needs to step up going into the playoffs.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been in a similar position to the Boston Bruins for most of the season. They are not one of the best teams, but they are solid and will be making a run for the Stanley Cup.

The Penguins have three notable leaders: veteran center Sidney Crosby, left-winger Jake Guentzel, and veteran defenseman Kris Letang. Crosby is in the back half of his career, but he is still scoring over one point a game; Crosby leads the Penguins with 80 points. Jake Guentzel, on the other hand, is in the front half of his career and leads the Penguins in scoring with 37 goals. Finally, we have Kris Letang. Letang has not been slowing down with age. He will be turning 35 very soon, but he leads the Penguins in TOI (25:50) and assists (55).

The Penguins differentiate themselves from the Bruins with their goaltending. For starters, they do not use a platoon. The Penguins have put Tristan Jarry in net for most of their games. Jarry will not be playing tonight as he is dealing with a foot injury, but he will likely return during the playoffs.

I have to pick the Penguins to win this game. They are playing at home and are facing a Bruins team that will be without David Pastrnak, Hampus Lindholm, Jesper Froden, and Linus Ullmark.

Pick:

Pittsburgh Penguins beat Boston Bruins 3-1. Pittsburgh Penguins cover, Under 6 goals.

Why Might the Boston Bruins Win?

The Boston Bruins are the underdogs but can win if they overwhelm the Penguins with shots and avoid committing penalties.

The Bruins will not be facing Pittsburgh’s best in goal in this game. They will likely face backup goaltender Casey DeSmith. DeSmith is not a bad goaltender, but he is a major step down from Tristan Jarry. Since that is the case, the Bruins should shoot as much as possible. This should not be a problem as the Bruins shoot 36 times a game.

The Bruins commit a lot of penalties, They have 761 penalty minutes compared to Pittsburgh’s 528. They need to play smarter hockey and avoid committing penalties to keep themselves in the game.

Why Might the Pittsburgh Penguins Win?

The Pittsburgh Penguins are the underdogs, but they will only win if they play strong defense and ride the hot hand.

As I mentioned above, the Bruins shoot a lot. The Penguins defensemen have to find ways to limit the Bruins shooting. This is necessary if the Penguins want to keep the Bruins scoring down.

We are reaching the end of the season, which means that we will see some unlikely heroes. The Penguins are no exception to this and will see some unlikely heroes of their own. They need to let the players feeling hot do their thing. That is the key to them winning.

Bruins Key Player: (LW) Jake DeBrusk

Jake DeBrusk is not one of the better players on this team. He plays under 15 minutes a game and only has 38 points. However, in the Bruins last game, he had one goal and one assist.

DeBrusk is probably feeling hot from last game and is poised for another big one tonight. The Bruins need to let him take shots and look for his opportunities.

Penguins Key Player: (LW) Jake Guentzel

Jake Guentzel is a playmaker for the Penguins. He has 37 goals, 41 assists, and plays over 20 minutes a game.

Guentzel needs to have a big game and put a few in the back of the net. He is the Penguins best goal scorer and has to act like it tonight.

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