Hurricanes vs. Bruins Odds
| Hurricanes Odds | -150 |
| Bruins Odds | +130 |
| Over/Under | 5.5 |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Boston Bruins suffered a tough loss on Tuesday night at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and to add insult to injury they will be without their leading scorer, Brad Marchand, for the next six games due to a suspension.
The Carolina Hurricanes have not had the best start to the second half of the season as they have lost their first two games since returning from All-Star weekend.
Hurricanes in Rough Stretch
It's rare to see this Carolina Hurricanes team on a losing streak, but they are heading into Boston tonight hoping to avoid their third loss in a row. The Canes almost completed the comeback from down 4-0 against the Senators, but it was too little too late. Carolina was outplayed in Ottawa and was also outplayed the night before in Toronto when it lost to the Leafs 4-3 in overtime.
Freddie Andersen had the night off in Ottawa, so it is almost certain that he will starting tonight for the Canes. Anderson got the loss in his last start in his return to Toronto, but he has been otherwise reliable in the blue paint all season long.
Anderson has one of the best save percentages in the league, currently skating to a .927 rating and he also has the second best Goals Saved Above Expected with a +22.3, only trailing Igor Shesterkin.
The big focus for Carolina will be the first 20 minutes. The Hurricanes had a decent start on Monday night in Toronto, but couldn't have had a worse first period on Tuesday night against the Senators. They are a team that plays such strong defense when they play with a lead, so they will be focused on getting ahead early.
Carolina has only had a three-game losing streak once this season and I don't expect them to have another. They are too good on both ends of the ice and have the goaltending to give them a chance to win every night.
Bruins Will Miss Marchand
Marchand made a very undisciplined decision at the end of the Bruins' game against the Penguins that will cost him six games in the stands. Boston relies on Marchand to generate and finish offensively and his line mates, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak, will definitely miss him out there.
The Bruins are sitting comfortably in a wild-card position, but I wouldn't say that they are guaranteed to make the playoffs. This is their first season in nearly a decade without goaltender Tuuka Rask, who announced his retirement from hockey this week. The goaltending responsibilities now rely on Linus Ullmark and the youngster, Jeremy Swayman.
Bruce Cassidy hasn't announced a starter, but this duo has split time throughout the entire season and either one of them is a good option. Ullmark is 16-6-1 on the season with a .913 save percentage and a -1.2 GSAx. Swayman is 8-7-2 on the season with a .914 save percentage and a +3.5 GSAx.
The Bruins blew a 2-0 at home against Pittsburgh on Tuesday night, but Pastrnak found the back of the net twice and Swayman stopped 21 of 24 shots. Since Swayman started the last game, I won't be surprised to see Ullmark get the nod.
Hurricanes-Bruins Pick
Not having Marchand is a huge loss for the Bruins, and with the Hurricanes losing their last two in a row I think they will be very hungry to come out of Boston with two points.
The Hurricanes have the advantage in goal and have been the stronger offensive team all season long and they definitely have an extra edge if Boston is missing its leading scorer.
I think Carolina comes into TD Garden and takes care of business.
Pick: Carolina Hurricanes ML +100
