Boston Bruins vs Tampa Bay Lightning Predictions, Odds, Picks

• The Boston Bruins have won three of their last four games.
• The Tampa Bay Lightning are 0-2-1 over their last three games.
• The Bruins are 0-2-1 against the Lightning this season.

Boston Bruins vs Tampa Bay Lightning Odds

Odds taken from DraftKings Sportsbook.

Boston Bruins vs Tampa Bay Lightning Predictions and Picks

The Boston Bruins will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning for the fourth time this season. The Bruins have struggled against Tampa Bay and are yet to beat them this season.

The NHL season is winding down, and both of these teams are trying to climb in the standings. The Bruins and Lightning have both played 70 games and have 93 points. Whoever wins this game will move into the third-place spot in the Atlantic Division.

The Boston Bruins are not the NHL’s strongest team, but they have gone on a handful of winning streaks. They are led by wingers Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, center Patrice Bergeron, and defenseman Charlie McAvoy. Marchand is a veteran with 31 goals. Pastrnak is a younger winger and the Bruins’ leading goal scorer, Bergeron is one of the oldest members of this Boston squad and a leader in the locker room, and McAvoy is a crafty defenseman with 42 assists.

The Bruins do not have dominant goaltenders. However, they have a solid duo of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. These netminders are similarly good and can be hard to score on.

The Tampa Bay Lightning were battling for a top spot in the Atlantic for much of the season but have only won four of their last ten games. They are a veteran-heavy squad and one of the most successful teams of the last few seasons. They are led by the center-defenseman duo of Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman. Stamkos has 79 points and is the Lightning’s leading scorer with 32 goals, while Hedman is a top defenseman and has 48 assists.

Much of the Lightning’s success is due to goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. Vasilevskiy has played in 55 games and leads the league with 35 wins.

The Lightning have figured out how to beat the Bruins this season and will beat them today.  It should be a close game and an exciting one to watch.

Pick:

Tampa Bay Lightning beat Boston Bruins 3-2. Boston Bruins cover, over 6 goals.

Why Might the Boston Bruins Win?

The Boston Bruins are not favored to win this game but have been playing better hockey lately. If they want to win this game, they have to get second-chance shots and draw penalties.

The Bruins know how to score and get off a lot of shots. However, they will likely be going up against one of the best goaltenders in the league in Andrei Vasilevskiy. Vasilevskiy is a brick wall in net and difficult to score on. Since that is the case, the Bruins need to sit near the net and get second-chance shots.

The Bruins do not have the best power-play unit in the league, but they have one of the better ones. They convert on 23.3% of their power-play attempts. The Bruins need to draw penalties and give themselves scoring opportunities. If they have a lot of man advantages, they may win the game.

Why Might the Tampa Bay Lightning Win?

The Tampa Bay Lightning are the favorites, but this will not be an easy game. They have to focus on limiting the Bruins’ shots and take a lot of shots offensively.

The Bruins shoot the puck a lot. They average an impressive 36 shots per game. Those 36 shots result in 3.16 goals per game. The Lightning defenseman have to step up and not let them take so many shots. This will be key in limiting the Bruins’ scoring.

The Bruins have good but not great goaltenders. They have a goaltending platoon that is solid but could be better. Since the Bruins’ goalies are not great, the Lightning should take a lot of shots. If they do, the Bruins’ goalies will probably make a mistake and let a goal slip in.

Bruins Key Player: (LW) Brad Marchand

Winger Brad Marchand may be 33 years old and in the back half of his career, but he is still performing productively. He plays over 19 minutes a game and has 31 goals and 40 assists.

Marchand can score and pass. He is still a very skilled player and one of the better players on this team.

Marchand is a playmaker and needs to be very active in this game. He needs to either take good shots or set up his teammates with good scoring opportunities.

Lightning Key Player: (G) Andrei Vasilevskiy

Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has been instrumental in the Lightning’s’ success this season. He has proven himself as one of the best netminders in the NHL and only allows 2.47 goals per game.

This will be one of the more difficult games for Vasilevskiy. The Bruins shoot 36 times a game and score over three goals a game.

Vasilevskiy needs to be active and have a strong game. We have seen him be a star in net before, and he needs to continue being one in this game. His play will dictate if Tampa Bay wins or loses.

How to Watch Boston Bruins vs Tampa Bay Lightning