Game 21: Boston Bruins Vs Lightning Lines, Betting, Preview

The Boston Bruins (12-8-0, 24 pts) host the defending, back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight at TD Garden (7:05 PM, NESN, BSSUN).

This is the first time that the two Atlantic Division rivals have squared off since the Lightning knocked the Boston Bruins out of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs with a 3-2 double-overtime win in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. This is also the first time the Bolts have stepped on TD Garden ice since the famous donnybrook between these two bitter rivals in a 5-3 win for the visitors. There was a combined 94 penalty minutes and four fighting majors in what was the Bruins’ last home game before the COVID pause on March 12, 2020.

Betting, Prediction: 

The Boston Bruins (-115) come into the game as slight favorites. You can also get the B’s -1.5 (+215). The Over/Under is 5.5 with the over at +110 and the under at -130. The read here is that this will be a low-scoring affair and go into overtime. You can bet the game to OT at +275.

Prediction: Lightning 3 Bruins 2 (OT)

Boston Bruins Notes

-Jeremy Swayman will get the nod between the pipes again after a brilliant and career-best 42-save performance in a 2-0 Bruins win over the Nashville Predators on Thursday. That was Swayman’s fourth career shutout.

–Embattled Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk snapped a six-game goalless streak in the win Thursday, netting his fourth goal of the season and what proved to be the game-winner 14:38 into the first period.

– Is Bruins winger David Pastrnak starting to find his groove? Even though Pastrnak had his two-game goal streak snapped on Thursday, he had plenty of chances with five shots on net. That followed a one-goal, nine-shot performance this past Tuesday when he lit the lamp in a 2-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. Pastrnak has three goals in his last five games and has 31 shots on net during that span.

-Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy is a game-time decision with a non-COVID illness. In addition to McAvoy, Zboril (lower-body), and Anton Blidh (upper-body) remains out.

Tampa Bay Lightning Notes

-31-year-old Lightning captain Steven Stamkos is having a resurgence this season. He enters tonight’s matchup on a five-game point streak with two goals and five assists during that span. Stamkos leads the Lightning in goals with 11 and in points with 25.

-2018 Norris Trophy winner and 2020 Conn Smythe winner Victor Hedman leads the Bolts in assists with 17 helpers.

-Andrei Vasilevskiy will start for the Bolts and carries an 11-4-3 record with a 2.14 GAA and .926 save percentage into this game.

– Mathieu Joseph (lower-body) 2 Games, Nikita Kucherov (lower-body injury), Brayden Point (upper-body), Gemel Smith (Lower-body), all remain out for the Lightning.

-The Lightning begin a five-game road trip – their longest of the season – tonight and are playing the first game of a back-to-back set that concludes tomorrow in Philadelphia.

Boston Bruins Lines

Forwards

Taylor Hall-Patrice Bergeron-David Pastrnak

Erik Haula-Charlie Coyle-Craig Smith

Nick Foligno-Trent Frederic-Karson Kuhlman

Jake DeBrusk-Tomas Nosek-Curtis Lazar

Defense

Matt Grzelcyk – Brandon Carlo

Mike Reilly – Connor Clifton

Derek Forbort – Jack Achan

Goalies:

Linus Ullmark

Jeremy Swayman

Tampa Bay Lightning Lines

Forwards

Ondrej Palat – Steven Stamkos – Alex Barré-Boulet

Alex Killorn – Anthony Cirelli – Gabriel Fortier

Pat Maroon – Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – Corey Perry

Boris Katchouk – Ross Colton – Taylor Raddysh

Defense

Victor Hedman – Jan Rutta

Ryan McDonagh – Erik Cernak

Mikhail Sergachev – Zach Bogosian

Goalies:

Andrei Vasilevskiy

Brian Elliott