Chicago Blackhawks vs Boston Bruins: Predictions and Odds

Where: TD Garden – Boston, MA.

When: Thursday, December 5, 7PM EST

How (TV/Radio): Sportsnet, TVA, NESN, NBC Sports Chicago | WFAN

Chicago Blackhawks (Away)

Head Coach: Jeremy Colliton{All-Time 40-40-14 CHI}

The Chicago Blackhawks have lost their last three games in a row and have gone only 4-5-1 in their last ten games. And now they have to play the Boston Bruins.

Offense

For Chicago, the highest they rank in offense statistically is how many shots they average per game. They are tied for 17th (ironically with the Boston Bruins), averaging 31.3 shots per game. However, they rank 22nd in the league for combined total shots this season.

The Chicago Blackhawks have the seventh-fewest goals scored this season with a total of 74. They have the eighth-worst shooting percentage in the league as well with 8.7 percent.

The power play hasn’t been working much for Chicago this season either. They currently sit ranked with the fifth-lowest power-play percentage in the league with only a 13.41 percent and 11 total power-play goals.

They also struggle in the faceoff circle. They have a faceoff percentage of only 48.8 percent.

Defense

The Blackhawks are already heading into this game behind the eight ball as they will be short defenseman Duncan Keith and Olli Maatta.

Chicago has allowed the second-most shots against this season. They average an allowance of over 35 shots per game and have allowed 965 shots against total.

However, despite the number of shots they face, the goaltending for Chicago has been performing quite well. Chicago’s tandem of goalies has combined to have the league’s seventh-best save percentage this season at .915.

They have faced challenges with killing penalties this season. Chicago ranks 20th in the league in that regard with a 79.76 penalty kill percentage.

Goaltending

It is expected that goaltender Robin Lehner has recovered from his illness and will be between the pipes for the Blackhawks Thursday night. Lehner’s record this season sits at 5-5-3. He has a goals-against-average of 2.69 and a .929 save percentage.

Head Coach: Bruce Cassidy{All-Time 184-102-9-34 BOS, WSH}

The Boston Bruins have won eight games in a row now and have still yet to lose in regulation when playing in their home arena. The odds of either of those streaks coming to an end against the Chicago Blackhawks aren’t high.

Offense

The Boston Bruins have just seemed unstoppable this season. They rank second in the league behind only the Washington Capitals when it comes to goals. The team has combined to score 101 goals this season. Forwards David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand have combined for 87 points.

Boston’s shooting percentage currently ranks third in the NHL. The team doesn’t take as many shots as some other teams, but they make the shots they do take matter. Their current shooting percentage is 11.5 percent.

Boston also has one of the best power plays in the league. Continuously battling the Edmonton Oilers for the top spot, the Bruins currently sit second in the league with a 30.86 percent success rate and a total of 25 power-play goals.

If they have an offensive weakness, it comes in the faceoff circle. With Patrice Bergeron out injured, the team’s collective faceoff percentage has dropped to 49.5 percent – 20th in the league.

Defense

It’s safe to say that the best defensive players for Boston are their goalies. Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak have a combined .931 save percentage. That ranks number one in the league. They also lead the league with a combined four shutouts (two each).

Boston has also allowed the fewest goals against this season, having only 61 pucks get past their goaltenders this season.

Their special teams’ success continues on the penalty kill as well. Boston ranks sixth overall in the NHL with an 84.88 penalty-killing percentage.

Those penalty-killing numbers are huge as Boston does tend to take quite a few penalties. The team is 23rd in the league when it comes to average penalty time per game. The Bruins spend an average of 9.2 minutes per game in the box.

Goaltending

In net for the Boston Bruins is expected to be Tuukka Rask. Rask has been one of the team’s best players this season, amassing a record of 13-2-2. He has a goals-against-average of 2.04 and a league-leading .933 save percentage. He has two shutouts this year.

These teams have not seen each other since last season. Their last game fell on February 12 and the Bruins came out victorious, winning with a final score of 6-3.

This is Boston’s game to lose. On the line here is their eight-game winning streak and their streak of remaining undefeated at home in regulation time. All signs point to this being two easy points for the Bruins. Should Chicago pull off the upset, it’ll be great for team morale but is unlikely to carry over into long-term success.

Questions to Answer

Between these two teams, there are 12 players out due to injury and illness. Seven of those players are part of the Boston Bruins roster. How big of a role will these injuries play? Can the Blackhawks take advantage?

How badly will the Bruins be able to exploit the injured defense of the Blackhawks, a defensive core that will be short stars Duncan Keith and Olli Maatta?

Whose streak will come to an end: Chicago’s three-game losing streak or the Bruins’ eight-game winning streak?

Chicago Blackhawks Injury Report

D Duncan Keith – OUT (groin)

F Andrew Shaw – day-to-day (concussion)

D Olli Maatta – day-to-day (illness)

F Dylan Strome – day-to-day (concussion)

F Drake Caggiula – DL (concussion)

Boston Bruins Injury Report

F Patrice Bergeron – day-to-day (lower-body)

D John Moore – IR/NR (shoulder)

F Brett Ritchie – DL (infection)

D Kevan Miller – IR/NR (kneecap)

F Anton Blidh – IR/NR (shoulder)

F Zach Senshyn – DL (lower-body)

F Karson Kuhlman – DL (leg)

Chicago Blackhawks vs Boston Bruins – Game Odds

The latest odds for the Blackhawks vs Bruins game are provided by bet365 NJ, DraftKings Sportsbook, and SugarHouse.

Good luck!

Moneyline