Bruins Continue Stretch Of Six Games In Eight Nights

The Boston Bruins have been through so much as a team already this season. They still have more adversity to deal with. The Bruins will continue a stretch of six games in eight nights to close out the regular season when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, as their pursuit of a Northeast division title and home ice advantage throughout the first two rounds of the playoffs hangs in the balance. Boston has split its first two online sports betting meetings with the Flyers this year, and needs to take advantage of its game in hand over the Montreal Canadiens as they are currently tied for first place in the division.

Boston Bruins @ Philadelphia Flyers
Tuesday April 23, 2013 – 7:30 PM ET
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
NHL Sports Betting Line: Boston – 130

Division titles and home ice advantage aren’t anything that they Flyers have to worry about this season, not after falling out of playoff contention in a season that hockey fans in Philadelphia can’t wait to put behind them. The Flyers were expected to be a legitimate Stanley Cup contender this year, but will enter the final week of the regular season having already been eliminated from playoff contention.

NHL Betting Preview: Boston Bruins

The Bruins would be a lot more comfortable with the Northeast division and home ice advantage through two rounds already locked up, but the unfortunate circumstances brought up by the awful events in the city of Boston over the past couple of weeks has forced the team in to a tough situation. Tuukka Rask stopped all 23 shots he faced in the initial meeting between these teams earlier in the year, and will likely get the call again for a team that ranks third in goals per game allowed this season. Rask is a big part of that, and it will be a familiar face trying to get the job done at the other end of the ice in this game as Jaromir Jagr goes up against his former club for the first time this year.

NHL Betting Preview: Philadelphia Flyers

Philadelphia has felt the loss of Jagr in terms of five-on-five scoring, and there is no doubt that what he brings to the table would have really helped a team that ranks 11th in goals per game. The Flyers’ struggles have been even worse at the defensive end of the ice, where they have given up an average of three goals per game, which ranks them 25th in the NHL. The arrival of Steve Mason has some online betting fans in the area wondering how much longer the team will go before voiding Ilya Bryzgalov’s long-term deal via the amnesty clause. Bryzgalov hasn’t been awful this year, but his 2.84 goals against average isn’t nearly good enough for a goalie making that kind of money over that extended term.

NHL Betting Preview: Outlook & Pick

The Bruins are attempting to make the best out of a bad situation, and could really help themselves by earning a pair of points that will help move them one step closer to locking up top spot in the Northeast division. Boston is the only team with four games remaining on its regular season schedule, but can really help its cause by getting maximum points against a struggling Flyers’ team and taking away from the significance of the remaining games.

NHL Betting Pick: Boston Bruins