NHL Picks: Lightning keep top spot in Atlantic with win over Bruins – CBSSports.com
Welcome to NHL Picks where CBSSports.com hockey writers Chris Peters and Adam Gretz offer their predictions for all of the day’s games.
Boston Bruins at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7:30 p.m. ET
First place in the Atlantic Division is on the line Tuesday night as the Lightning and Bruins square off in Tampa. One point currently separates the two clubs. A regulation win for Boston vaults them into first place over the Bolts, while an overtime win would tie them with the Lightning, who will have a game in hand. So it’s a rather important game with the regular season just over a month from its conclusion.
Both teams played on the road Monday night. The Lightning suffered a tough 4-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, while the Bruins snatched two points with a 5-4 overtime win against Florida’s other team, the second-place Panthers.
Tampa Bay saw its franchise-record nine-game winning streak come to an end, but they also kept starting goalie Ben Bishop rested in the process, having turned to backup Andrei Vasilevskiy against Philly. Bruins starting goalie Tuukka Rask, meanwhile, was a very busy man. He made 47 saves on 51 shots over 64 minutes between the pipes. Bishop is expected to start Tuesday, while Boston’s starter has not yet been named.
The Lightning have the edge in the season series this year, having won two of the previous three meetings between the two teams so far this year, including a 4-1 win in Boston on Feb. 28. Tuesday night’s contest will be the last meeting between the Bruins and Lightning, giving Boston their last chance to take a few points away from the division leaders.
Even though both teams could be a bit tired from playing the second of back-to-back games, this game has all the makings for an entertaining affair. The sheer importance of the game should create a pretty intense environment, especially with how bunched together the top three teams in the Atlantic have become. Not only that, but both teams have been playing some of their best hockey of late.
The Bruins have been getting some major production out of their top players. Patrice Bergeron has goals in each of his last four games. He is leading the Bruins with 59 points in 65 games so far this year. Meanwhile, Brad Marchand has five points over his last three games and continues building on his new career high in goals. He has 33 this year and is third in the league in goal scoring.
Over on the other side, the Lightning have been getting some big time performances from Ondrej Palat of late. He has four goals over his last three games. Meanwhile, Nikita Kucherov, the team’s most productive forward all season, has five points over his last four games to push his season total to 54. Also, the Bruins will have to keep a close eye on the always-dangerous Steven Stamkos, who has three points in the season series so far and is on the verge of his fifth 30-plus goal season.
Any team having to go on the road and play both Florida teams back-to-back is in for a tough time. That’s especially true when the Bruins will be getting Tampa’s No. 1 goalie, who will be fresh on the second half of a crucial back-to-back. While the Lightning saw their winning streak come to an end Tuesday, they’ll be back home, where they’ve been strong pretty much all season. Look for the Lightning to maintain their grip on first place in a tight game with the Bruins. Pick: Lightning 3, Bruins 2
The Bruins and Lightning will clash in a crucial Atlantic tilt. (USATSI)
The rest of Tuesday’s picks
New York Rangers 3, Buffalo Sabres 1
Carolina Hurricanes 2, Ottawa Senators 1
Detroit Red Wings 3, Columbus Blue Jackets 2
New York Islanders 4, Pittsburgh Penguins 3
Dallas Stars 4, Montreal Canadiens 2
Winnipeg Jets 2, Nashville Predators 1
San Jose Sharks 5, Edmonton Oilers 2
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