Game 60: Boston Bruins @ Chicago Blackhawks Lines, Betting Preview

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

Boston Bruins (36-18-5, 77 pts) @ Chicago Blackhawks (22-30-8, 52 pts)

TIME: 8:30 PM ET

TV: NESN, NBCSCH

The Boston Bruins begin a four-game road trip in the Windy City in a rematch from their game last Thursday where the Bruins beat the Hawks 4-3. The Bruins won their next game as well with a 3-2 win over the Coyotes on Saturday to close a three-game homestand.

The Bruins enter this game slotted in at the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Boston trails the sixth-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs (37-17-5, 79 pts) and the fifth-seeded New York Rangers (37-15-9, 79 pts), by four points and the fourth-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins (36-15-9, 81 pts), by four points.

Linus Ullmark gets his first start since allowing three goals on 28 shots in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings on March 7. Ullmark is 17-19-2 with a 2.81 GAA and a .907 save percentage.

Marc-Andre Fleury will get the nod between the pipes for the Blackhawks. The veteran netminder – who is a hot topic in NHL trade rumors – 19-20-4, with a 2.92 GAA and .908 save percentage.

Betting: Per our friends at BetUS, are heavy, heavy favorites on the MONEY LINE (-170) so there isn’t much value there if you like them to win. The PUCK LINE (-1.5) is at +150 but something is telling this is going to be a barnburner. That’s why we love the OVER 6 (-105), and the draw for this game to go to extra time at +340. Those are our   BetUs picks for this game.

Prediction: Bruins 5 Blackhawks 4 (SO)

Boston Bruins Notes

-Boston Bruins winger Nick Foligno will be playing in his 1,000th game in the NHL. By doing so, Nick and his Dad, Mike (1,018 games) become just the second father-son duo to play in 1,000 or more games in the NHL.

-David Pastrnak scored two goals, including the game-winner with 17.3 seconds left in regulation, and had an assist in the Bruins’ 4-3 win over the Blackhawks in Boston last Thursday.

-The Bruins continue to get depth scoring as the line of Trent Frederic, Charlie Coyle and Craig Smith. In the 3-2 win over the Coyotes on Thursday, Coyle scored the game winner and added an assist and Smith lit the lamp twice. The trio has combined for 23 points (9-14-23) in the last nine games.

-Brad Marchand is now mired in a seven-game scoring slump.

Chicago Blackhawks Notes

-Patrick Kane was named the league’s First Star for the week ending March 13. Kane led the NHL with nine assists and 10 points in three games. Kane had three assists on Saturday, and in the process passed Bobby Hull for second on the Blackhawks all-time points list. He also extended his point streak (3G, 12A) to six games.

-Alex DeBrincat had a goal and an assist in the 4-3 loss to the Bruins last Thursday. DeBrincat has goals in his last four games against Boston (4G) and points in five of his seven career contests against them (4G, 2A).

Boston Bruins Lines:

Forwards

Brad Marchand – Patrice Bergeron – Jake DeBrusk

Taylor Hall – Erik Haula – David Pastrnak

Trent Frederic – Charlie Coyle – Craig Smith

Nick Foligno-Tomas Nosek-Curtis Lazar

Defense:

Mike Reilly – Charlie McAvoy

Matt Grzelcyk – Brandon Carlo

Derek Forbort – Connor Clifton

Goalies:

Jeremy Swayman

Linus Ullmark

Chicago Blackhawks Lines:

Forwards:

Alex Debrincat–Dylan Strome–Patrick Kane

Brandon Hagel–Jonathan Toews–Kirby Dach

Dominik Kubalik–Ryan Carpenter–Sam Lafferty

Henrik Borgstrom–Philipp Kurashev – Mackenzie Entwhistle

Defense:

Calvin De Haan–Seth Jones

Caleb Jones-Jake McCabe

Riley Stillman–Erik Gustafsson

Goalies:

Marc-Andre Fleury

Kevin Lankinen