Boston Bruins will host the Los Angeles Kings in the NHL 2021-22 action on Monday evening. The home side has been in excellent form, and they want to keep up where they left off. The visitors can also be happy with their recent displays, and they will search for a positive result here.
Boston returns home after six straight road games, hoping to continue in the same fashion. The hosts are comfortable in the top-four zone, wishing to remain there at the end of the regular season. On the other hand, it’s going to be the fourth game in a row on the away ice for Los Angeles. Nevertheless, they want to be as successful as in the previous two.
Boston Bruins – Can they be successful at home as well?
The Bruins have significantly improved their form lately, as they lost just once on the previous eight occasions. That run saw them establishing their position in the top four of the Atlantic Division with a 34-18-4 record. Boston is 18 points ahead of the fifth-placed Red Wings, while if they continue in the same fashion, they can improve on the standings. They go to this one after two straight road wins, where the latest was against the Blue Jackets. Although the Bruins weren’t too tight in defense, their good offensive work led them to a 5-4 win.
David Pastrnak leads Boston’s offense with a total of 57 points, being the team’s top scorer at the same time with 31 goals. Brad Marchand produced one point less, while he’s the Bruins’ best assistant with 33. Patrice Bergeron and Taylor Hall managed to cross the 40-point margin, while Charlie McAvoy has contributed with 35 points. On the goal, Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman saw the majority of the action, averaging 2.68 conceded goals per match and having a .913 save percentage.
Expected Line-Up: Linus Ullmark, Derek Forbort, Charlie McAvoy, Taylor Hall, Charlie Coyle, David Pastrnak
with best odds
Los Angeles Kings – Will they keep the positive road record on this tour?
Like their opponents, the Kings have been pretty good lately, winning seven times in the last nine games. That positive score launched them to the 2nd spot in the Pacific Division with a 31-19-7 record. However, Los Angeles needs to keep the high level of performances to stay in the top three since the fourth-placed Oilers are only five points behind them. The Kings head to another outing after being successful against the Sabres 3-0 in their latest match. They held their rivals to only 19 shots and managed to keep the clean sheet.
Anze Kopitar has been the most dominant player in the Kings’ offense, producing a total of 51 points. At the same time, he tops the team’s assists charts with 36. Viktor Arvidsson has contributed 38 points, while Los Angeles’s top scorer Adrian Kempe has 36 points, including 25 goals. Phillip Danault has 33 pts, while three other skaters managed to chip in with at least 30 points each. On the other hand, Jonathan Quick and Cal Petersen have spent most of the time between the pipes, having a .908 save percentage and allowing 2.72 goals per contest.
Expected Line-Up: Jonathan Quick, Matt Roy, Tobias Bjornfot, Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, Viktor Arvidsson
Expert Pick #1 – Boston Bruins -1.5 @+130
Although both teams have been pretty confident lately, I’m leaning more towards the hosts. Just a week earlier, the Bruins managed to beat the Kings 7-0 on the road. I think they can repeat similar success, and I’ll go with the puck line market as my first pick for the max value.
Expert Pick #2 – Over 6 @+100
The Bruins’ last four games went over the margin, as well as four of the Kings’ previous five. Since the margin is not too high, and the bookies offer the plus money odds, I’ll go with the Over as my second bet.
Expert Pick #3 – Bruins to win & BTTS Yes @-105
Both teams are talented in the offense, and Los Angeles will be motivated to bounce back after their latest defeat against Boston. However, I believe the hosts will win, but we should see goals in both nets. That’s going to be my third pick for this matchup.
