The Boston Bruins remain as the only team in the NHL that hasn’t lost in regulation on home ice. Tonight, the Florida Panthers come into Boston trying to put an end to that, but do they have the capability to do so?
The Panthers have been very inconsistent thus far this season, but they are coming into this game off of a big win on the road against the New Jersey Devils, which may have sparked some extra confidence in this group.
Read our NHL betting picks to see if that'll be enough against the model of consistency that is Boston in front of its home faithful.
Panthers vs Bruins best odds
Panthers vs Bruins picks and predictions
Not many teams have been able to beat the Boston Bruins this season, but the Florida Panthers are one of the few. These teams met back on November 23rd when the Panthers beat the Bruins 5-2. Knowing that they have done it before has the Panthers feeling good entering tonight’s contest, that being said, they will have their work cut out for them.
The Panthers aren’t fully healthy, which makes me question their ability against a team as strong as Boston. The Panthers are missing a ton of key players like Aleksander Barkov, Patric Hornqvist, Anthony Duclair, and Anton Lundell just to name a few. I know they are leading the league in shots on goal per game, so I’m sure the Cats will be able to generate offense, but the Bruins are the best defensive team in the NHL and Linus Ullmark has been absolutely outstanding in goal.
Spencer Knight will be getting his first start since December 6. Knight was also in goal the last time these teams met, leading the Panthers to that lopsided win. He enters this game with a .919 save percentage and a 2.64 goals-against average.
Knight vs. Ullmark is a great goaltending matchup and I think they will steal the show tonight.
My best bet: Under 6.5 (-114 at Pinnacle)
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Panthers vs Bruins moneyline analysis
Something in my gut is telling me that Knight is going to stand on his head and steal a win for the Panthers tonight, but it’s very hard to justify that with all of the injury adversity that the Panthers are currently facing.
As we all know by now, the Bruins are legit. They are the most dominant team in the NHL both offensively and defensively, which makes it very difficult to think an unhealthy Panthers team can come into Boston and take two points. Boston also has the edge over the Panthers on special teams and goaltending. The B’s have the third-best power play and the No. 1 penalty kill in the league, whereas the Panthers rank 26th on the man advantage and 17th on the man down.
David Pastrnak is currently riding an eight-game point streak (six goals, four assists) and it will be tough for the Cats to slow him and the Bruins down.
Oh, and the Bruins are 16-0-2 at the Garden this season. They simply don't lose in regulation.
Panthers vs Bruins Over/Under analysis
Not to be a broken record, but I really am concerned about the amount of players the Panthers are going to be missing from the lineup, especially if Barkov doesn’t play. When they are fully healthy, we know what this team is capable of as far as offensive production, but with this many key players out or uncertain, it should be a struggle for them to find ways to put pucks in against the Bruins, especially on the road at TD Garden.
Ullmark has been one of the most impressive goalies in the league this season and it has gotten to the point where I expect him to stand on his head every single game. He enters this game with an incredible 17-1-1 record to go along with a .938 save percentage and 1.83 goals-against average, absolutely insane numbers. In my opinion, he is leading the way in the Vezina conversation.
Knight has also had a great season. He hasn’t played in two weeks, which means he might have a little bit of rust, but he will also be fired up to get back into game action.
We should see a fun, low-scoring game tonight.
Panthers vs Bruins betting trend to know
The Under is 4-0-1 in the Panthers' last five vs. the Eastern Conference. Find more NHL betting trends for Panthers vs Bruins.
Panthers vs Bruins game info
| Location: | TD Garden, Boston, MA |
| Date: | Monday, December 19, 2022 |
| Puck drop: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | NESN, Bally Sports Florida |
