Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Boston Bruins Prediction, NHL Odds
Boston is riding a three-game point streak coming into Saturday’s matinee and sits just a point back of the Florida Panthers for first place in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins have dropped four of their last five and are slowly slipping down the standings now in 12th out of 16.
Get your bets in before the puck drops at 3:00 PM ET at TD Garden in Boston. Our NHL odds have the Bruins as the -200 Moneyline favourite with the OVER/UNDER set at 6 goals.
Penguins vs. Bruins NHL Betting Odds
The Pens lead this best-of-three-season series, after beating the Bruins in a 6-5 slugfest in January. That one went back and forth, with the lead changing multiple times, including the Penguins blowing a 5-2 lead in the second half of the game. Sidney Crosby scored the game-winning goal in the third period to cap off a three-point night. That Pittsburgh victory was revenge for last season’s series where the Bruins swept them in three meetings, in which each game was decided by a single goal.
Pittsburgh has been struggling offensively this season, averaging just 2.9 goals per game after playing 61. In their past five games, they have been shut out twice and have scored more than three just once. They have a record of 23-34-4 on the OVER/UNDER this season, but they have gone four games now without hitting the UNDER.
Their current three-game point streak has helped the Bruins cover the spread in each of their past three games and they are just one away from evening their 32-33 record ATS this season. Their defence and goaltending have been lights out over this three-game stretch playing against some lethal offences as well. They held the Leafs to a single goal twice and the Oilers needed overtime to score just their second of the night.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Less than two minutes into their most recent outing on Thursday night, the Penguins found themselves down 1-0 after giving up a shorthanded goal to their biggest rival; the Washington Capitals. The Caps did not slow down there, pumping in four more in the second period and a final goal in the third for a 6-0 thumping. Pittsburgh could not put one of their 39 shots past the Washington netminder, getting shut out for the second time in a week.
The Penguins essentially gave up on their pursuit for the playoffs this season on Friday, when they dealt two-time 40-goal scorer Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes for Michael Bunting and futures. Already struggling offensively the team does not have a replacement for the eight-year veteran.
Pittsburgh has very little turnaround after this one as they hit head back to Pennsylvania for a 2:00 matinee game Sunday versus the Edmonton Oilers.
Boston Bruins
Sweeping your biggest rival in the season series is always a great feeling, but for the Bruins, it is even sweeter considering they are likely to see the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the post-season.
Boston handed the Leafs a 4-1 loss on Thursday night, beating them for the fourth and final time this regular season. David Pastrnak got the offence going with a powerplay marker in the first, then the Bruins piled on three more in the second period, including a second on the man advantage. Jeremy Swayman stopped 28 of the 29 shots and was perfect in the third period picking up his third consecutive win.
The B’s were not as busy as their fans probably had hoped at this year’s trade deadline, picking up depth pieces like winger Pat Maroon and defenceman Andrew Peeke. The Bruins’s needs at centre ice were not addressed this year and the rumours surrounding their two-headed monster in net amounted to nothing.
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