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Currently riding a four-game winning streak, the Tampa Bay Lightning (1st in Atlantic Division) start a four-game homestand, kicking it off with a contest against the Boston Bruins (4th in Atlantic), who have lost three of their past four outings…
Bruins Get Shut Out In Florida
The Boston Bruins (14-9-4) went on to lose for the second consecutive time (0-2-0) after being shut out with a score of 5-0 by the Florida Panthers at BB&T Center on Tuesday. The Bruins were outshot 44-33, went 4-for-6 on penalty kill, failed to convert on four power-play opportunities and allowed four snipes in the second period alone, with another one following in the final third. It was Boston’s fifth blanking of the season, matching the total of 2014-15. The team has now dropped three of its past four decisions (1-3-0) and is 5-6-4 on its travels so far this year, currently sitting 4th in the Atlantic Division with 32 points from 27 outings.
“You just have to simplify. I think the biggest thing when you’re not scoring is you just have to do other things. We have to be better defensively as a group.”
📝 The #NHLBruins practiced on Wednesday with a focus on improving a few key areas. Read More: https://t.co/hIfoJww8j9
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) December 5, 2018
With 12 starts and 13 appearances thus far in 2018-19, goalie Tuukka Rask has gone 6-5-2 with a 2.59 GAA and a .915 save percentage. He has recorded a 16-7-1 past total versus Tampa Bay with a 2.49 GAA and a .908 save percentage, while David Pastrnak, who presently leads Boston with 19 strikes and 30 points, has nabbed 10 goals and three assists in 17 previous appearances against the Lightning. The Bruins, meanwhile, are netting the 5th lowest quantity of goals per game (2.59), while conceding the 2nd lowest amount in their defensive zone (2.56). They are 5th in power play (27.6%) and 22nd in penalty kill (76.7%).
Bolts Post Four Successive Wins
A three-date road trip ended with a perfect 3-0-0 tally for the Tampa Bay Lightning (21-7-1), who recorded a 6-5 shootout win against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday. Nikita Kucherov (12 goals, 42 points this year) buried the winning third-round shot of the skills competition, but saw his 10-game point streak finally come to an end, as the Bolts won for the fourth consecutive time, banking their ninth victory in the past 11 fixtures (9-2-0). With a four-game homestand now scheduled next, the Lightning have registered an 11-4-0 home record so far this season and are currently topping the whole league with 43 points from 29 outings.
Comeback kids, a huge PK effort, and a long-awaited game for Eddie Pasquale.@bburnsnhl’s 3 Things | #TBLvsDET https://t.co/9giuj0HgeU
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) December 5, 2018
In the absence of injured Andrei Vasilevskiy (9-3-1 on the year with a 2.30 GAA and a .927 save percentage), goalie Louis Domingue has raked in an 11-4-0 season total with a 3.14 GAA and a .900 save percentage. He is 0-2-0 versus Boston historically with a 2.87 GAA and a .904 save percentage, while Kucherov, who leads Tampa Bay in points, has collected five goals and six assists in 17 previous outings against the Bruins. The Lightning, meanwhile, are netting the absolute highest amount of goals per game (3.86), while conceding the 15th lowest quantity on the defensive end (2.93). They are 3rd best in power play (28.2%) and 8th in penalty kill (82.2%).
Notable Trends
Tampa Bay
- Lightning are 5-1 in their last 6 games following a win.
- Lightning are 40-16 in their last 56 vs. Atlantic.
Boston
- Bruins are 1-4 in their last 5 vs. Atlantic.
- Bruins are 2-6 in their last 8 road games.
The Bottom Line What to bet on this game.
Full-Game Side Bet
The Bruins have not coped well with the influx of recent injuries to key players, including influential centerman Patrice Bergeron. So, don’t expect a miracle here. The Lightning have been in deadly form for pretty much the whole season so far and will be meeting a side, which has dropped six of its last eight road outings and has managed to win just one of the past five travels to see off teams with a home winning percentage above the .600 mark. The Bruins have already lost their very last four encounters with the Bolts and are set for a difficult evening.
Prediction: Tampa Bay Lightning
Full-Game Total Pick
This series has rarely gone over the total and is unlikely to produce a high-scoring game this time around either, with six of the past 10 meetings between the two sides finishing below the six-goal mark and with only two of the remaining four going above it. The Bruins have already witnessed 21 of their past 30 travels end up on the low-scoring side, while the Under is 9-3-3 in the last 15 contests of the Bolts versus teams with a winning record.
Prediction: Under 6
