PREMIUM
Rogers' Saturday SLASHER >> BIG SIDE!
(NHL) Boston vs. Tampa Bay,
Money Line: -146.00 Tampa Bay (Home)
Result: Loss
Money Line: -146.00 Tampa Bay (Home)
Result: Loss
The set-up: The 48-18-4 Tampa Bay Lightning will host the 44-17-8 Boston Bruins on Saturday night. The first-place Lightning gave up a season-high in goals on Tuesday, in a 7-4 home loss to Ottawa. Tampa Bay has 100 points and leads the second-place Bruins (96 points in the Atlantic Division by four points. "Biggest game of the year," Tampa Bay forward J.T. Miller told reporters. "Should be an easy game to get up for. We have a point to prove after (Tuesday's) performance. I think our guys are going to have a chip on their shoulders." The Bruins have dropped two of their first three on a four-game road trip after a 3-0 loss at Florida on Thursday,as injuries continue to mount. Center Patrice Bergeron (foot), left wing Jake DeBrusk (upper-body), veteran defenseman Zdeno Chara (upper-body) and rookie blue liner Charlie McAvoy (knee) are not expected to play against Tampa Bay. "
Boston: Brad Marchand owns a team-best 72 points (30 goals) and speedy David Pastrnak (68 points, including 27 goals) have been doing most of the heavy lifting on offense for Boston, which had won six in a row before its road trip. Marchand boasts six goals and eight assists in his past seven contests while Pastrnak has scored five times and set up eight others in his past eight games with linemate Bergeron out. Tuukka Rask (29-11-4, 2.35 GAA & .917 SP) will be back in net after getting rested Thursday (he is 14-6-1 all time versus Tampa Bay).
Tampa Bay: Right wing Nikita Kucherov continues to pile up numbers with a goal and eight assists over the last five games and leads the league with 91 points overall (including 30 goals). Captain Steven Stamkos owns 11 of his 82 points in the last six contests and Miller joined the high-scoring duo on the top line Tuesday, registering a hat trick in the loss against Ottawa. Andrei Vasilevskiy (40-13-3, 2.52 GAA & .923 SP) needs one victory to pass Ben Bishop for the single-season franchise record, but has not had much help in front of him lately while allowing 19 goals in a four-game span.
The pick: Tampa Bay goes to Boston on March 29, then plays host to the Bruins again on April 3, with another collision in the postseason a real possibility. Miller may just be right that this is "the biggest" game of the year for these teams. Boston is a quality road team (19-10-4) but Tampa Bay is 25-7-2 on home ice, averaging 3.68 GPG. Make Tampa Bay an 8* play.
Boston: Brad Marchand owns a team-best 72 points (30 goals) and speedy David Pastrnak (68 points, including 27 goals) have been doing most of the heavy lifting on offense for Boston, which had won six in a row before its road trip. Marchand boasts six goals and eight assists in his past seven contests while Pastrnak has scored five times and set up eight others in his past eight games with linemate Bergeron out. Tuukka Rask (29-11-4, 2.35 GAA & .917 SP) will be back in net after getting rested Thursday (he is 14-6-1 all time versus Tampa Bay).
Tampa Bay: Right wing Nikita Kucherov continues to pile up numbers with a goal and eight assists over the last five games and leads the league with 91 points overall (including 30 goals). Captain Steven Stamkos owns 11 of his 82 points in the last six contests and Miller joined the high-scoring duo on the top line Tuesday, registering a hat trick in the loss against Ottawa. Andrei Vasilevskiy (40-13-3, 2.52 GAA & .923 SP) needs one victory to pass Ben Bishop for the single-season franchise record, but has not had much help in front of him lately while allowing 19 goals in a four-game span.
The pick: Tampa Bay goes to Boston on March 29, then plays host to the Bruins again on April 3, with another collision in the postseason a real possibility. Miller may just be right that this is "the biggest" game of the year for these teams. Boston is a quality road team (19-10-4) but Tampa Bay is 25-7-2 on home ice, averaging 3.68 GPG. Make Tampa Bay an 8* play.
