Bruins vs Lightning Game 2 Odds & Picks – Aug. 25
- The Tampa Bay Lightning are -109 favorites to win Tuesday’s Game 2 of their Stanley Cup Eastern Conference semi-final series against the Boston Bruins
- Boston, 3-2 winners in Game 1, are slight -106 underdogs
- Tampa Bay is 0-3 in Game 2 of its last three playoff series
The Tampa Bay Lightning tried to play Boston Bruins-style hockey in the opener of their Stanley Cup Eastern Conference semi-final series.
Instead, they played right into Boston’s hands.
The Lightning sought to set a physical tone by giving their more physical bottom-six forwards plenty of ice. Tampa Bay finished with a 39-37 edge in hits but it was the Bruins who finished the Lightning off by a 3-2 count.
As they head into Game 2 of this best-of-seven set on Tuesday (7 pm EST), the Lightning are expected to get even with Boston. Tampa Bay is the slight -109 favorite in the Bruins vs Lightning odds.
Bruins vs Lightning Game 1 Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total at DraftKings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Bruins | -106 | +1.5 (-295) | O 5.5 (+108) |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | -109 | -1.5 (+240) | U 5.5 (-132) |
Odds as of Aug. 24th
Boston can be had for a -106 betting line. The Bruins won Game 1 of the series as -104 underdogs.
Bruins’ Stars Stepping Up
The big guns in the Boston lineup were the big stars of Game 1. Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak each combined for a goal and an assist.
Boston’s top forward line of Patrice Bergeron between Marchand and Pastrnak combined for five points on the night. That trio combined for 16 points as the Bruins ousted the Carolina Hurricanes in five games during first-round play.
Brad Marchand collected 1-1—2 to help lift the @NHLBruins to a 1-0 series lead. It marked his 28th career multi-point outing in the postseason – the third-most in franchise history. #NHLStats #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/s4EaXDKruX
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) August 24, 2020
Meanwhile, Lightning star Nikita Kucherov, the Hart and Art Ross Trophy winner last season, was held off the scoresheet for the second time in three games. He’s scored one goal over his last eight games.
Both Tampa Bay goals were tallied by defenseman Victor Hedman. Each came in the final 11 minutes of the game after Boston fashioned a 3-0 lead.
Hedman’s first goal at 8:50 of the third period was the first shot on goal for the Lightning in the frame.
Lightning Power Outage
Teams that lose the special teams battle generally lose the game. That was the case for the Lightning in Game 1.
Tampa Bay went 0-for-3 on the power play. That extended the Lightning drought with the man advantage during these playoffs to 0-for-13.
Final numbers from tonight's Game 1 loss. #TBLvsBOS pic.twitter.com/tfvH5SwRdt
— x – Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) August 24, 2020
Meanwhile, Boston went 1-for-3 on the power play. Pastrnak scored in the second period to make it 2-0.
Boston also dominated at the dot. The Bruins won 58% of all faceoffs.
Slowly They Turned
Slow starts have proven an issue for the Lightning all season long. That factor was again problematic in Game 1.
The Bruins tested Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy with 10 shots before the first period was half over. Other than Vasilevskiy’s performance, it was difficult to find an area in which Tampa Bay rated as the superior squad.
#GoBolts Ryan McDonagh got tangled up with #NHLBruins Connor Clifton. Headed off. His next shift .. just 14 seconds. https://t.co/nXmReqL7zl pic.twitter.com/xbXM9pnNue
— Fuck Dave Portnoy ⬇️ (@TheReplayGuy) August 24, 2020
Tampa Bay defenseman Ryan McDonagh left the game midway through the third period after colliding with Boston’s Connor Clifton.
Two An Unlucky Number
Game 1 winners go on to win 68.7% of NHL playoff series (485-220). That’s including a 7-1 slate this season.
Tampa Bay is 0-3 in Game 2 over its last three playoff series. Boston is 3-1 in its last four Game 2s.
The good news for the Lightning is the last time they won Game 2 of a set, it was in the 2018 second round against Boston.
There’s little to choose between these two teams. They rank 1-2 in the NHL in wins (Tampa Bay 159, Boston 143) and points (Lightning 333, Bruins 319) over the past three seasons. Tampa Bay leads in goals per game (3.70), while Boston owns the #1 goals-against per-game average (2.57).
Being that close, the law of averages suggests the Lightning will strike in Game 2.
Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (-109)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
