Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators will meet in the NHL action on Tuesday evening. The home side wants to enter the playoffs battle and will search for a victory. The visitors are on a bad streak, and they look forward to improving their record.
Boston is back on the home ice, where they want to continue with good results. However, the hosts haven’t been too consistent this season, and they should aim to stabilize their form. On the other hand, Ottawa cannot be satisfied with its performance this season. The away side is far from the playoffs zone, and they should search for the way back to the winning track.
Boston Bruins – Can they continue with good home displays?
After celebrating twice in a row on the home ice, the Bruins went to Toronto to face the Maple Leafs. They go to this match after suffering a 5-2 defeat and failing to a 5-4-0 record. Boston is 6th in the Atlantic Division, but they have at least two games in hand than their rivals in the post-season spot battle. Linus Ullmark didn’t have a good time between the pipes in Boston’s losing effort, as he conceded four goals from 35 attempts. Taylor Hall and David Pastrnak scored a goal each, while Brad Marchand logged a pair of assists in the Bruins’ losing effort.
Brad Marchand tops all the offensive statistical columns for the Bruins. He has contributed with the most points – 14 – being the top scorer with four goals and logging the highest number of assists – ten. Patrice Bergeron has eight points, with four goals and assists apiece, while Taylor Hall and David Pastrnak logged six points each. On the other hand, Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman shared the action on the goal, with Ullmark being a bit more successful with a .918 save percentage. Swayman saved 90% of the opponent’s shots and has allowed 2.28 goals per game so far.
Expected Line-Up: Jeremy Swayman, Derek Forbort, Charlie McAvoy, Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak
with best odds
Ottawa Senators – Will they break their losing run?
The Senators have had many troubles so far, and they will unlikely challenge for the playoffs spot. They sit in 7th place in the Atlantic Division with a 3-7-1 record and are seven points behind the post-season zone. Ottawa is on a four-match losing streak, and they go to Boston after two home losses. The latest one came against Tampa Bay Lightning, as the defending champions celebrated a 5-3 victory. Matt Murray had many troubles on the goal, as he had a .875 save percentage, allowing four goals in total and three in the 3rd period.
Ottawa has had many defensive issues this season, as they have conceded 3.64 goals per game on average. The Senators still haven’t found a proper solution between the pipes, as they have rotated three goalies so far. They have been most successful with Filip Gustavsson as a goaltender, as he has a .911 save percentage, while Ottawa went 2-2-1 with him on the goal. On the other hand, Drake Batherson has been the biggest threat for the opposition’s goalies with 12 points, including a team-high seven assists. Josh Norris chipped in with six goals and nine points, while Connor Brown has seven points.
Expected Line-Up: Filip Gustavsson, Thomas Chabot, Nikita Zaitsev, Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris, Drae Batherson
Expert Pick #1 – Bruins -1.5 @-105
The Bruins are hot favorites here, as they have been performing very well on the home ice. On the other hand, the Senators haven’t been convincing, especially on the road. Boston celebrated ten times in their last 11 clashes, and I’m going to back the puck line market for the higher odds for my first pick.
Expert Pick #2 – Over 5.5 @-115
Ottawa’s defense has been very leaky so far, while Boston produces 3.75 goals per match as the host. The Over chased in the Bruins’ last two games, while the Senators went Over on the previous four occasions. Therefore, I expect to see at least six goals in this one, and it’s going to be my second bet.
Expert Pick #3 – Bruins & Over 5.5 @+135
I’ll dive into the combos market for the third pick, and the one that provides a good value is the combination of moneyline and totals. If Boston wins in a match with at least six goals, we can count on nice returns.
