The Boston Bruins (20-19-5, 13-31 PL, 20-23-1 O/U) meet the Florida Panthers (25-15-2, 18-24 PL, 21-20-1 O/U) in a divisional showdown on Saturday evening. The Bruins were dealt a road defeat against the Lightning on Thursday. The Panthers recorded a road win against Utah in their previous bout. The Panthers are 2-0 against the Bruins this season.
Can the Bruins end their slide on Saturday? Check out the Bruins vs. Panthers prediction.
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Boston Attempts to End Slide
The Boston Bruins conclude a quick road trek on Saturday. Boston is in need of wins quickly. They are having trouble generating offense and are slumping, dropping six consecutive games. They have plummeted out of 3rd place in the Atlantic and into a wildcard spot. They are in danger of dropping out of a playoff spot completely. The Bruins were dealt an ugly 4-0 home loss by the Oilers on Tuesday and a disappointing 4-1 road defeat against the Lightning on Thursday.
David Pastrnak continues to shine in the slide and has not been the issue in the defeats, amassing five points in his past five games. The star winger is having another outstanding season, netting 42 points. The Bruins need more from veteran Pavel Zacha. He has only issued three points this month. The veteran center is having a subpar season, managing only 21 points.
Charlie McAvoy has recorded at least one point in three of his past four clashes. The star defenseman has not been as productive as last season, collected 19 points and a +2 rating. He averages 24 minutes of ice. Justin Brazeau has 10 goals on the season but only eight assists.
The Bruins are expected to have Jeremy Swayman in the net. The 26-year-old netminder is having a bit of a disappointing season, recording a 2.92 GAA, an .893 save %, and a 13-15-3 record. He was in the cage in the defeat on Thursday Backup Jonas Korpisalo has a 2.86 GAA and an .892 save %.
Boston is averaging 2.9 goals per game, marking them 29th. The Bruins are conceding an average of 3.1 goals, pegging them 20th.
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Panthers Rebound in Road Win
The Florida Panthers are home after a brief road trek. Florida has been inconsistent recently, especially on home ice. They have dropped four points behind the Maple Leafs atop the Atlantic Division but have a game in hand. The squad was dealt a 3-1 road defeat by the Avalanche and rebounded with a solid 4-1 road win against Utah on Thursday
Sam Reinhart has been kept in check recently, managing only two points in his past five games. He scored in the win on Wednesday. The star center is having another great year, issuing 47 points on the season. He has collected four points in two meetings against the Bruins.
Aleksander Barkov has also been quiet, earning three points in his last five bouts. The 29-year-old captain has netted 36 points in 33 games on the year. He did not play in the previous meetings against the Bruins. Carter Verhaeghe has yielded three points this month. The 29-year-old center has collected 30 points. Aaron Ekblad continues to thrive. The star defenseman has 20 points and averages 24 minutes of ice.
The Panthers goaltending has been mediocre. Sergei Bobrovsky has posted a 2.69 GAA, a .903 save %, and an 18-9-1 record. Backup Spencer Knight has a 2.80 GAA and an .891 save %. Florida is scoring an average of 3.3 goals per game, rating them ninth. The Panthers are squandering an average of 3.0 goals, placing them 16th.
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Best Bets for Boston Bruins vs. Florida Panthers
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
The Boston Bruins are a desperate team in need of a win here. They are struggling but the Panthers have not been threatening either in the past few weeks. They stand at only 3-4 in their past seven games. The Panthers are shaky on home ice where they stand at 1-3 in their past four games including a defeat against the Canadiens
Furthermore, Boston is going to be the more desperate team here. They are in danger of dipping out of a playoff spot. Florida is having trouble scoring goals, netting three or fewer goals in six of their past nine games. Their big guns have been kept in check. Reinhart only has two points in his past six games while Barkov has three in his past six bouts.
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
I expect plenty of scoring. Boston has generated offense against the Panthers this season. They scored four goals in the first meeting and three in the second. Bobrobsky was in the cage in those games. The Panthers are just below the league average in goals against.
In addition, the Bruins are a squad that relies on defense but is being exploited in the slide, squandering 21 goals in their past five games including four in the defeat on Thursday. Florida has a solid power play that is clicking at 25% aand the Bruins' PK is a huge weakness, marking 26th. The over is 4-1 in the Bruins' past five road clashes against the Panthers.
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