Game 74: Boston Bruins Vs Ottawa Senators Lines, Betting Preview

Here’s your Boston Hockey Now Boston Bruins Game Day Preview:

Boston Bruins (45-23-5, 95 pts) vs Ottawa Senators (27-40-6, 60 pts)

TIME: 7:00 PM ET

TV: NESN, TSN5, RDS

The Boston Bruins will try to snap a two-game skid Thursday night when they host the Ottawa Senators in their final game of the season against their Atlantic Division rivals.

The Bruins play of late has slipped. While it’s fair to attribute some this to their battered blue line and missing David Pastrnak for the last four games, there’s no doubt that the Bruins appear to have hit a physical and mental wall. Well, if they can find some energy and their game, the Ottawa Senators may just what the doctor ordered for the Boston Bruins and help them clinch a playoff spot in their second chance in the last two games.

The Senators won their last game but have basically played just above .500 hockey this month and usually have a tough time winning in Boston. The Sens are 0-7-0 at TD Garden since knocking the Bruins out of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 3-2 overtime win in Game 6 of the first round on April 23, 2017.

It could be a busy night of clinching in the Eastern Conference as the @penguins, @TBLightning and @NHLBruins all could put an "x" beside their name in the standings Thursday. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/6LduvQuauh

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 14, 2022

Betting: The Boston Bruins are large favorites on the MONEY LINE at -270 but you can get some better value on the PUCK LINE if you bet the Bruins -1.5 at -110. Given a depleted Bruins defense and and the always lackluster defense and goaltending of the Sens, the OVER 6 at -105 is a solid play. So the picks here are Bruins -1.5 and the OVER 6.

Prediction: Bruins 5 Senators 3

Boston Bruins Notes

-Charlie McAvoy leads all Bruins defensemen with 52 points and leads the team in assists with 44.

-Forward Trent Frederic will be a healthy scratch after some undisciplined play against the Blues Tuesday. The Boston Bruins have recalled forward Jesper Frödén and he will start the game on the second line.

-The Boston Bruins will once again be without winger David Pastrnak as he continues to recover from an undisclosed injury. Pastrnak has now missed the last four games.

-The Bruins will also still be missing defensemen Hampus Lindholm (lower-body) and now Brandon Carlo (undisclosed), who left the game in the first period Tuesday.

-The good news on the injury front is that defenseman Matt Grzelcyk (upper-body), will be back after missing the game Tuesday.

Ottawa Senators Notes

-Even though he’s missed 16 games, Josh Norris still leads the team in goals with 32 lamplighters.

-Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stützle are tied for the team lead in assists with 30 each and Tkachuk leads in points with 56.

-Rookie defenseman Jake Sanderson is out with a hand injury.

Boston Bruins Lineup:

Forwards

Brad Marchand – Patrice Bergeron– Jake DeBrusk

Taylor Hall – Erik Haula – Jesper Frödén

Tomáš Nosek  – Charlie Coyle – Craig Smith

Nick Foligno – Marc McLaughlin – Curtis Lazar

Defense:

Mike Reilly – Charlie McAvoy

Matt Grzelcyk – Josh Brown

Derek Forbort – Connor Clifton

Goalies:

Linus Ullmark 

Jeremy Swayman

Ottawa Senators Lineup:

Forwards:

Brady Tkachuk – Josh Norris– Mathieu Joseph

Alex Formenton – Tim Stützle – Drake Batherson

Chris Tierney – Colin White – Connor Brown

Adam Gaudette – Dylan Gambrell – Austin Watson

Defensemen:

Erik Brannstrom – Artem Zub

Michael Del Zotto – Travis Hamonic

Nick Holden – Nikita Zaitsev

Goalies

Anton Forsberg

Mads Søgaard