BOS @ TB
Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL
LINE: TB -170, BOS +150
A Look at the Boston Bruins (5-6)
The Bruins now find themselves on the brink of elimination, after a backstabbing 4-3 OT loss at home to the Tampa Bay Lightning, who now must attempt to stave off elimination with a victory in Tampa, which will not come easy by any means. Not to mention, the Bruins were also embarrassed in Game 3, falling 4-1. Expected to win at least one of the games at TD Garden, they were beaten in both, and now head to Tampa down 3-1 in the series, where it is extremely difficult to win.
Boston won their first round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs in 7 grueling games, with almost all of the production coming from their top line (Marchand, Bergeron, Pastrnak). However, they have done almost nothing in the four games so far against the Bolts. In order to return the series to Boston for Game 6, the line must produce. Boston does not have any secondary scoring, if not very little, from what we’ve seen so far in this series.
Boston’s defense and penalty kill has been very maligned so far this postseason, which has opened the door for the high scoring Bolts to bury pucks in the net.
A Look at the Tampa Bay Lightning (7-2)
The Bolts have a great chance to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the third time in the last four seasons, as they come home for Game 5 up 3-1 in the series. They have been unstoppable on offense, as their second and third lines have been burying pucks left and right. More impressive of all, the Bolts won both games in Boston, and it came from excellent defense and offense, and fantastic goaltending from Andrei Vasilevskiy. This hockey club is very difficult to beat at home.
Tampa Bay made short work against the New Jersey Devils in Round One, dispatching them in five easy games. One of the reasons the Bolts are handling the Bruins this easily could be due to the fact that Tampa has far more rest than Boston does and as a result the Lightning are running away with this series. They have far more depth than the Bruins, as they get production from all four lines. Their defense has also vastly improved from the regular season, as they get sticks on pucks, block shots, and cover the net very well.
Although Tampa Bay’s penalty kill has also been maligned, their defensive zone coverage is much better than it was in the regular season.
EXPECTED GOALIE MATCHUP:
Rask vs. Vasilevskiy
PREDICTION: LIGHTNING 3, BRUINS 1
I am going to look for the Lightning to end this series right here. They are clearly the better team here and are getting productions from all four lines, while Boston only gets production from one line, which hasn’t produced at all this series. Not to mention this is also in Tampa, which is a very hostile environment. If the Bolts can win both games in Boston, then they can certainly win this one at home.
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