Blue Jackets vs Bruins Updated Series Price After Game 4 – Boston Back to Being Favored

• Columbus’ Boone Jenner couldn’t convert on a short handed penalty shot with the Bruins up 1-0
• Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak came alive in Game 4 for the Bruins with 5 points among them
• This series is now a best-of-3. What is the best bet?

The Bruins and Blue Jackets are locked in a see saw battle in their Eastern Conference Semifinal series with the Bruins beating Columbus 4-1 last night to even the series 2-2.

The series price and momentum has shifted like a pendulum with Columbus  now at +115. After Game 3 the Blue Jackets were -220 and the Bruins were +180. The Bruins are now favored at -135.

Boston Bruins vs Columbus Blue Jackets Playoff Series Price

Odds taken 05/03/19

Bruins’ Top Line Roars Back to Life

Through Games 1 to 3, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak had only two shots on the power play and one goal in Game 3.

BERGYYY!!! ?

He puts it home from the doorstep on the power play! 4-1 #NHLBruins with 2:30 remaining. pic.twitter.com/U4CI7G48wu

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) May 3, 2019

Bergeron scored both of the Bruins’ power play goals, Pastrnak had an even strength goal and assisted on Bergeron’s second goal while Marchand assisted on the first one by Bergeron. Bergeron’s second goal made it 4-1 Boston and that sealed the deal.

Rask with pen save to Bergeron PP GOAL #NHLBRUINS #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/z8GlkXDNqu

— Kevin Carter (@Kevin_Carter83) May 2, 2019

Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask had 39 saves in the game and came up big stopping the Blue Jackets Boone Jenner on the penalty shot. He continues to be strong in the playoffs  with a 1.80 GAA and .942 Save % in this series.

Blue Jackets Lacked Discipline and Special Teams Hurt Them

Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella acknowledge that his team took too many penalties. Their special teams let them down totally in this game as Columbus hadn’t allowed more than one power-play goal in its seven playoff games this year. Bergeron got two against them himself. They were 87.5 percent (14-for-16) on the penalty kill entering the game. They leave 81.8 percent (18-for-22).

Back on October 13th, the Blue Jackets were on the penalty kill seven times in an 8-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning ironically. Their special teams had problems in their sweep of Tampa in the first round.

“We’ve got to stay out of the box and take advantage of our power plays.” – Boone#CBJ pic.twitter.com/R9zrfDjjwk

— x-Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) May 3, 2019

Columbus’ power play was 0-for-4 in this game after going a combined 3-for-7 in Games 2 and 3. They had nine shots , including two on four attempts in a pressure-packed 62 seconds late in the first period but could not convert.

The Best Bet

Over 11 playoff games including a tough seven-game series against Toronto, the Bruins have proven they have the talent and the goaltending to win and advance to the next round. Patrice Bergeron has seven points in 11 games and Tuukka Rask has a 6-5 record with a 2.11 goals against average and a .933 save percentage. Bergeron has also won a cup with the Bruins in 2011 and knows what it takes to get there.

Tuukka Rask has a 6-5 record with a 2.11 goals against average and a .933 save percentage.

Columbus’ Matt Duchene has nine points in eight games for the Blue Jackets, and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is 6-2 with a 2.13 goals against average and a .933 save percentage. Columbus has only won one playoff series in its history, this year vs Tampa Bay.

With home ice advantage in two of the next three games and substantially more playoff experience than Columbus, the Bruins are the safer bet.

Pick: Boston Bruins (-135)