The Carolina Hurricanes hope to tie the series up at TD Garden in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. NBC will air this Eastern Conference matchup, and the action gets going at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 12.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Boston Bruins Odds
Carolina (+130) is currently the underdog to Boston (-150), and the oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals. The line for betting that total stands at -130 for the under and +110 for the over.
The Bruins are 58-38 straight up (SU) and have earned moneyline bettors 4.3 units this season. That winning percentage, ranked second in the NHL in this young season, is right in line with the 50-32 record the team posted during last year’s regular season campaign. Among its 96 games this season, 40 have gone under the total, while 40 have gone over and just four have pushed. The team is 34-15 SU at home this season.
Boston’s offensive skaters attempted 33.0 shots per game in the regular season, leading to 3.2 goals per outing (ranked 11th overall in the NHL). In the playoffs, the team is up to an average of 35.1 shots on goal 3.2 goals per game.
Following a regular season where they scored on 26.5 percent of all power-play opportunities (the third-strongest), the Bruins have connected on 30.0 percent of their power plays in the postseason. Their penalty kill has gone from 80.3 percent in the regular season to 82.5 percent in the playoffs.
Averaging 26.2 saves per game with a .919 save percentage, Tuukka Rask (36-24-6) has been the most dependable goalkeeper for the Bruins this season. If they decide to rest him, however, head coach Bruce Cassidy may roll with Jaroslav Halak (22-18-18 record, .922 save percentage, 2.34 goals against average).
The Bruins will continue to look for offensive production via Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. Marchand (115 points) has tallied 41 goals and 74 assists and has recorded multiple points on 35 separate occasions this year. Pastrnak has 44 goals and 48 assists to his name and has notched at least one point in 51 games.
In the other locker room, Carolina is 54-40 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 2.2 units this season. Through 94 regular season matches, 50 of its games have gone under the total, while 42 have gone over and just two have pushed. Carolina’s 25-23 SU as the visiting team this season.
Carolina has converted on 17.0 percent of its power play chances this season, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked eighth overall and it’s successfully killed off 80.4 percent of all opponent power plays.
Carolina’s players have been called for penalties 3.5 times per game this season, 3.8 per game over their past five contests total, and 3.8 per game over their last five on the road. The team’s had to kill penalties just 7.9 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Petr Mrazek (24.8 saves per game) has been the primary option in goal for Carolina. Mrazek has 29 wins, 21 losses, and four OT losses to his credit, while registering a .913 save percentage and 2.39 goals against average this year.
For the visiting Hurricanes, the offense will be facilitated through Sebastian Aho (35 goals, 58 assists) and Teuvo Teravainen (27 goals, 58 assists).
Carolina Hurricanes at Boston Bruins Betting Predictions
Free Prediction: SU Winner – Bruins, O/U – Under
Betting Notes
- The total has gone under in three of Boston’s last five games.
- This game features two clubs that put the puck on goal a lot. Carolina has registered the league’s most shots on goal (34.0) while Boston has attempted the ninth-most (33.0).
- Power plays and penalty kills could prove to be extremely important in this one. The Hurricanes are 22-21 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 38-30 in games where they’re in the box for fewer than 10 total penalty minutes. The Bruins are 28-17 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 41-25 when total penalty minutes are in the single digits.
- Boston is ranked 6th overall this season with 8.4 takeaways per game. That figure has trended lower lately, however, as it has forced 6.3 takeaways over its last 10 games and 4.0 takeaways over its last five.
- Carolina has averaged 3.0 goals per game overall this year, but has raised that figure up to 4.0 per match up over the team’s three-game winning streak.
- Carolina is ranked second overall with 10.6 takeaways per game. That figure has trended down recently, however, as the team has created 9.7 takeaways over its last 10 games and 9.4 takeaways over its last five.
