Boston Bruins
Game 50: Boston Bruins vs Colorado Avalanche Lines, Betting, Preview
The Boston Bruins (28-17-4, 60 pts), return home to TD Garden for one more game before they head on the road for a six-game road trip. The Bruins will host the best team in the league as former UMass Hockey star defenseman Cale Makar and the Colorado Avalanche (36- visit TD Garden for a President’s Day matinee (1 PM ET, NESN, ALT, SN).
The Boston Bruins come in on the heels of s 3-2 overtime win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. After suffering their first regulation loss in 19 games with a 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars just over a week ago, the Avalanche have ripped off two straight wins.
The Bruins and Avs last met in Denver on January 26 and it was a dandy with all sorts of fireworks. Bruins winger Taylor Hall caught Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon with a vicious but clean, open-ice hit in the first period. In the process, MacKinnon’s own stick smacked him in the face and left MacKinnon in a puddle of blood on the ice. For the remainder of the period and most of the second period, Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog chased Hall around trying to get him to fight but Hall wouldn’t oblige. The Bruins took a 3-1 lead into the third period but would blow it as the Avalanche stormed back for a 4-3 overtime win. Will any Colorado Avalanche players chase Hall around today?
Jeremy Swayman gets the nod between the pipes for the Boston Bruins today. Swayman made 29 saves in the win over the Sens Saturday and has won two of his last three starts. The rookie Bruins goalie is 10-7-3 with a 2.14 GAA and .923 save percentage.
Betting, Prediction: The Boston Bruins are 0-5-0 in their last five games as a home underdog. They’re also 0-4-0 in their last four games after a win. While Swayman is playing great right now, the Avs are a wagon and feeling it again after that hiccup in Dallas last week. Take the Avalanche on the puck line, -1.5 (+140)
Prediction: Avalanche 3 Bruins 1
Boston Bruins Notes
-Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak snapped a four-game scoreless stretch on Saturday by scoring the overtime winner. Pastrnak leads the team in goals with 25 lamplighters and 46 points.
-The Bruins are 28-0-3 when scoring the first goal and 8-9-1 when their opponent lights the lamp first.
-While they blew that first game against the Avs in the third period, the Bruins still come into this tilt 27-1-2 when leading after the second period.
-Marchand will serve the sixth game of his suspension after hearing from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman that his appeal was denied for a lightened penalty.
Colorado Avalanche Notes
-Old Bruins nemesis Nazem Kadri is having a monster season in a contract year. The Avs center leads the team in assists with 42 and in points with 63.
-Mikko Rantanen leads the Avalanche in goals with 26 lamplighters.
-Former UMass star defenseman Cale Makar is a Norris Trophy candidate with 18 goals and 32 assists.
-The Avs are 7-0-0 in their last seven road games. They’re 15-6-2 overall on the road.
-The Avalanche are 11-1 in their last 12 games at TD Garden.
Boston Bruins Lines:
Forwards
Taylor Hall – Patrice Bergeron – David Pastrnak
Trent Frederic – Charlie Coyle – Craig Smith
Jake DeBrusk – Erik Haula – Nick Foligno
Anton Blidh-Tomas Nosek-Curtis Lazar
Defense:
Matt Grzelcyk – Charlie McAvoy
Mike Reilly – Brandon Carlo
Derek Forbort – Urho Vaakanainen
Goalies:
Jeremy Swayman
Linus Ullmark
Colorado Avalanche Lines:
Forwards:
Gabriel Landeskog-Nathan MacKinnon-Mikko Rantanen
Valeri Nichushkin-Nazem Kadri-Andrei Burakovsky
Tyson Jost-J.T. Compher-Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Darren Helm-Alex Newhook-Logan O’Connor
Defense:
Devan Toews-Cale Makar
Jack Johnson-Samuel Girard
Ryan Murray-Erik Johnson
Goalies:
Darcy Kuemper
Pavel Francouz