Bruins Face Tough Test Versus Penguins In Game One

The Boston Bruins have made it back to the Eastern Conference Final for the second time in three years. They will have to get past the only online sports betting opponent not to concede a point against them during the regular season if they get are going to get back to the biggest stage of them all. The Bruins will be in tough against the Pittsburgh Penguins heading in to game one on Saturday, as they were the only opponent that Boston failed to earn at least a point against during the regular season.

Eastern Conference Final – Game 1
Boston Bruins @ Pittsburgh Penguins
Saturday June 1, 2013 – 8:00 PM ET
CONSOL Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
NHL Sports Betting Line: Pittsburgh – 150

The last time these teams met it didn’t take long for the fireworks to go off, as Nathan Horton dropped them with Jarome Iginla in a spirited tilt at center ice. There will be a whole lot more on the line this time around, and it will be interesting to see how far the physical stuff goes in game one.

NHL Betting Preview: Boston Bruins

The Bruins are a team built for physical play, and they will make the Penguins pay for every play they make on the ice. However, it will be important for Boston to remain disciplined, as they can’t afford to concede too many powerplays to a team with as much skill as Pittsburgh. Tuukka Rask has been solid to this point in the playoffs with a 2.22 goals against average, but might need to be even better against a team with as much offense as the Penguins. Bruins’ head coach Claude Julien isn’t afraid to roll all four of his lines, and there will be an emphasis on driving the net and creating traffic.

NHL Betting Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins

That will be that much more important with Tomas Vokoun playing so well for Pittsburgh, as he has posted a 1.85 goals against average while going 6-1 since taking over the No. 1 job in the opening round. The Penguins have four of the league’s top-five scorers through the first two rounds so the offense should be fine, but it will be on Vokoun and the defense to step up their play again. Pittsburgh will need to maintain its composure as Boston throws everything it has at them in terms of physical play, and it will be interesting to see how the Penguins’ skilled players respond.

NHL Betting Preview: Outlook & Pick

The online sports betting atmosphere ahead of game one will be electric, and while the Penguins will have the home fans behind them, they will also have more pressure on them. The Bruins will play a loose brand of hockey with nothing to lose as the underdogs for game one, and their physical play will pay off as they gain the early edge with a game-one win.

NHL Betting Pick: Boston Bruins