Welcome back to NHL Predictions, where we break down matchups, drop some stats, and attempt to foresee the future like a fortune teller reading tea leaves, only our leaves are faceoff percentages and expected goals. Tonight, the Tampa Bay Lightning take on the Boston Bruins in a clash that promises plenty of action, physicality, and possibly a few broken sticks (and maybe egos). Will Tampa\u2019s offensive weapons light up the scoreboard, or will the Bruins\u2019 defensive grit shut them down? Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n
Head to Head: Lightning 1-2 Bruins<\/strong><\/p>\n Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)<\/strong><\/p>\n TV: ESPN+<\/p>\n Even amid a three-game losing streak, Tampa Bay\u2019s offence is powerful. Nikita Kucherov\u00a0<\/a>has 28 goals and 63 assists for the Lightning.\u00a0Jake Guentzel<\/a> has scored five goals and added four assists over the past 10 games. The Lightning need to capitalize on their speed and puck movement to keep Boston on their heels. Preferably high heels rather than skates.\u00a0 Tampa Bay\u2019s power play has been electric, like their lightning bolt logo, and Boston\u2019s penalty kill, while solid, will have its hands full. If the Lightning draw penalties, they need to cash in, preferably before Bruins fans finish their first round of overpriced stadium beers.<\/p>\n Andrei Vasilevskiy remains Tampa Bay\u2019s biggest X-Factor. If he can get back to top form, Boston is going to have a rough night. The Bruins love to generate chances off the cycle, so Vasy<\/em> will need to track the puck well and avoid getting screened by a parade of players in black and gold. If he\u2019s sharp, Tampa Bay can take control.<\/p>\n Boston thrives on structure, physicality, and making life miserable for opposing top lines. Pavel Zacha<\/a> has scored 13 goals with 27 assists for the Bruins. David Pastrnak<\/a> has six goals and eight assists over the last 10 games.\u00a0 They\u2019ll need to slow down Tampa\u2019s speed and force them to grind out goals rather than allowing rush chances.<\/p>\n If Jeremy Swayman gets the start, he will need to come up big against a relentless Tampa attack. He’s 2-3 in his last 5 games and for this game, a 35-save performance could be the difference between a victory and a long night of \u2018what-ifs\u2019 in the postgame interviews.<\/p>\n Boston\u2019s defence must limit high-danger chances. If they can clear rebounds and prevent Tampa Bay from getting those greasy goals around the crease, they\u2019ll keep things close.<\/p>\n This game features two elite teams with different strengths: Tampa Bay relies on skill and speed, while Boston plays a hard-nosed, structured game. However, if Tampa Bay\u2019s power play gets going and Vasilevskiy is locked in, it\u2019s going to be tough for Boston to keep pace.<\/p>\n Prediction: Tampa Bay Lightning 4, Boston Bruins 3 (OT)<\/strong><\/p>\n Expect a tight, physical game with a few momentum swings. Tampa\u2019s star power might just be the deciding factor in extra time.<\/p>\n Brayden Point Anytime Goal Over 0.5 (+155 odds)<\/strong> David Pastrnak First Goal (+850 odds)<\/strong> Tampa Bay and Boston always deliver entertaining matchups, and this one should be no different. Expect high-intensity hockey, some big hits, and at least one questionable officiating call that leaves fans on Twitter outraged. Can the Bruins\u2019 defensive discipline hold up, or will Tampa\u2019s elite scorers take over? Either way, it should be a game worth watching, or DVRing, if you forgot to buy popcorn and some Tums before the game starts.<\/p>\n Main Photo: Brian Fluharty – Imagn Images<\/p>\n Please play responsibly. Check your local rules and age restrictions. Some jurisdictions require ages 21+. Have a gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Welcome back to NHL Predictions, where we break down matchups, drop some stats, and attempt to foresee the future like a fortune teller reading tea leaves, only our leaves are faceoff percentages and expected goals. Tonight, the Tampa Bay Lightning take on the Boston Bruins in a clash that promises plenty of action, physicality, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5453,"featured_media":464804,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9,5,4547,4524],"tags":[6081,6391],"class_list":["post-464741","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lightning","category-bruins","category-hockey","category-nhl-predictions","tag-boston-bruins-predictions","tag-tampa-bay-lightning-predictions"],"modified_by":"Levi Pike, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/464741","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5453"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=464741"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/464741\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":464808,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/464741\/revisions\/464808"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/464804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=464741"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=464741"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=464741"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Lightning and their Keys to Victory<\/h3>\n
Boston Bruins: Keys to Victory<\/h3>\n
NHL Predictions and just who Has the Edge<\/h3>\n
Top Prop Bets for Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Boston Bruins<\/h3>\n
\nIf Kucherov isn\u2019t scoring, is it even a Lightning game? Bet on him to light the lamp.<\/p>\n
\nPasta loves to shoot his meatballs, and against Tampa Bay\u2019s aggressive playstyle, he should get plenty of looks.<\/p>\nFinal Thoughts<\/h3>\n