With the trade deadline firmly in the rear-view mirror, both the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins look to improve their chances of success of topping their respective NHL Eastern Conference tonight.
Live from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts we’ll see the number two and number four ranked teams in the Atlantic Division go head-to-head as they try to close the gap on the league leading Florida Panthers with a victory.
We’ll take a look at both teams’ recent form and overall statistics before making our free betting pick for the game to see if we can earn you some extra cash for the upcoming weekend.
The history between these two teams is incredibly close in all aspects and it makes for a very entertaining game on Thursday night.
Over the course of their history the teams have faced each other 51 times with victories split 26-25 in favour of the Bruins, with zero ties in that time. In those games even the pucks have been close, with Boston scoring 145 times in comparison to the Lightning’s 143 scores.
The last five meetings between the sides have actually gone more in favour of the Lightning though, 3-2 in terms of results including each of the last three games to have taken place in Boston by scores of 7-1, 3-1 and 3-2.
When they met in January however it was Boston who came out on top in Tampa, with a comfortable 5-2 win. On average there are 6.1 goals scored per game when these teams come up against each other and we should expect more of the same this time around.
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Boston are currently ninth overall in the NHL standings with 83 points this season and are full of confidence.
In attack they look excellent, averaging three goals per game while defensively they are averaging a concession of 2.7 goals per game. From 63 games this season they have scored 191 goals and conceded 169, for a season record of 39-19 with five overtime games too.
In their last ten games they are on a 7-2-1 run, with two wins in a row coming into this game.
Tampa on the other hand look even better. Despite having played a game less they sit on 84 points and sit in sixth place in the NHL standings right now. With 39 victories, 17 losses and six overtime appearances their record is strong and their stats are solid.
They are averaging 3.3 goals per game and conceding a healthy 2.8 goals per game, giving them a total of 207 goals scored and 177 conceded so far this season.
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As the travelling team the Tampa Bay Lightning will likely be underdogs but they don’t need to be and that can provide a good edge for the bettor.
In each of their last 22 NHL away games there have been zero ties in regular time, which tells you they’re the type of team to go for broke late on if necessary and won’t sit on what they have.
They have conceded first in seven of their last eight NHL away games and have failed to win an opening period in each of those games too, which tells you the first goal could be crucial for them. Worryingly though, Boston have been the team to score first in eight of their last nine games.
More worryingly is that the Lightning have failed to keep the opposition off the scoreboard during the first period in 11 of their last 12 NHL away games.
But Boston are a side that often leave themselves wide open for a beating and that will leave opportunity.
The Bruins have conceded a goal in the third period in each of their last 10 NHL games, while failing to win that period of the game in each of their last seven NHL fixtures.
They scored in five of their last six third periods, which shows they’re not totally out of the game, but you can expect the Lightning to still have a way to get a result late on if it’s not going their way.
Boston have not lost in regular time in eight of their last nine games, but they have conceded at least two goals in 12 of their last 13 home games. They have matched that with at least two goals scored in 14 of their last 15 NHL games, which goals are almost a guarantee in this game.
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This is set to be a super exciting game to watch and recent history tells you that it’ll go in favour of the visitors.
Tampa have the better record this season, just, and with wins on each of their last three visits to the TD Garden it will feel like a home away from home.
Two defeats in a row won’t have been in the plans and they’ll want to get back on track as soon as possible and captain Steven Stamkos will be keen to add to his own personal tally of 27 goals, 39 assists and 66 points this season.
Defensively they’re better and the statistics point to a slow start before a come-from-behind win in the third period to help edge them that little bit closer to the top of the standings.
About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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