After dominating the Bruins in a 6-3 win in Game 2 that garnered them home ice advantage in the series, the Panthers gave it all back in their first home loss to Boston since March 2020. The Bruins claimed a 2-1 series lead with Friday’s win, and can push the Panthers to the brink of elimination with a victory in Sunday’s contest.

The Bruins look to Game 4 perched as -164 road favourites on the Sunday NHL odds. The Panthers lag as +135 underdogs, while the odds of the total going OVER 6.0 are pegged at -121.

Bruins vs. Panthers NHL Playoffs Betting Odds

With Friday’s win, the Bruins have now taken four of seven from Florida this season, with neither club tallying consecutive victories over that stretch. Florida’s two late goals on Friday night gave OVER bettors a glimmer of hope. However, it is the UNDER that has paid out in two of the first three games of the series, ending a 4-0 run for the OVER. Road teams have claimed victory in the past two clashes between these clubs, ending a steady 8-0 run for the home side.

The Bruins have vaulted to strong -625 chalk on the NHL playoff series prices following Friday’s win, while the Panthers have sagged to +495 longshots, with the odds of Boston wrapping up the series in five games pegged at +152.

Boston Bruins

Thoroughly outclassed in their 6-3 defeat in Game 2, the Bruins quickly rebounded in Game 3, seizing a 2-0 lead through the first two periods while outshooting Florida by a 19-12 margin. Taylor Hall led the way with his second goal in as many games and added an assist. Hall’s resurgence is welcome after the former first-overall pick went pointless in his four previous outings and failed to score in his previous nine.

Brad Marchand extended his current points streak to five games by setting up Charlie Coyle’s goal in the second period, and with his game winner on Friday, David Pastrnak has now scored 13 times in his past 12 games. Injuries remain a concern, however. Patrice Bergeron remains sidelined, and there is speculation that Jeremy Swayman could get the start in goal to give a battered and bruised Linus Ullmark a rest.

Florida Panthers

The Panthers failed to maintain the intensity that paved the way to their dominating victory in Game 2. While Florida had a clear edge in the faceoff circle and in hits, they failed to capitalize on their rare opportunities. Alex Lyon did not help matters by giving up a bad goal to Charlie Coyle in the second period, and after allowing nine total goals on 92 shots through the first three games of the series, reports indicate Sergei Bobrovsky could be set to return to action for Game 4.

After not seeing action since ceding the crease to Lyon in the wake of a brutal three-game losing streak in late March, Bobrovsky replaced Lyon for the third period of Game 3, stopping eight of the nine shots he faced. However, he has work to do to bury the memory of a tough performance last spring when he was between the pipes for the team’s second-round series loss to Tampa Bay.

Game 4 Prediction: Who Will Win Bruins vs. Panthers?

BRUINS

Away

4

PANTHERS

Home

2

Score
Predictions

Matchup

Now squarely in control of this series, the Bruins must avoid looking too far ahead against a Panthers squad that has proven their ability to fill the net. As for Florida, not only must they deal with a goaltending controversy, but also the possible loss of Aaron Ekblad, and the failure of big guns like Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov to find the back of the net.