This is a 10* SLAP-SHOT on the Bruins.

I had a client play on the Bruins in Game 1.

David Pastrnak made his return to the Bruins line-up in Game 5 vs. the Hurricanes and he made an immediate impact with two assists. And then wouldn't you know it...Pastrnak had a goal and an assist in Game 1 as well.

For all of our fans reading who may not know hockey as well as they do the NBA...Pastrnak reminds me a lot of Steve Nash as a player...in that he makes all of his other teammates around him better.

Game 1 went under the number, with Boston for the most controlling and dicating the tempo of the game. The Lightning got a late goal...in the final two minutes to push it 3-2...and they were able to keep enough pressure on the Bruins so that Boston wasn't able to get that empty net goal and push that total OVER the number...but I don't think Game 2 will be so close.

Tampa looked a bit better as the game wore on, but Pastrnak and company look like the team that dominated throughout the regular season once again.

I think the goaltenders are a "wash" in this series...the starters and backups in net are all accomplished and really it's about the system in front of them. So for me, the goaltenders are out of the equation in Game 2.

Jaroslav Halk made 35 saves for the Bruins. Andrei Vasilevskiy had 28 saves for the Lightning.

The Lightning have to get out and push the pace in this one from the start and that's also going to leave them susceptible on the backend to the opportunistic Bruins.

Boston is 12-4 in its last 16 after playing to a one-goal game and I love that trend to continue here.

The play is the Bruins!

Good luck, NP