Senators Look To Find A Way To Beat Bruins This Tuesday

The online sports betting critics have been saying for more than a month now that the Ottawa Senators are due to slide in the standings. It still hasn’t happened yet. The Senators are on pace to make the playoffs thanks to excellent goaltending and strong two-way play that has helped them stay in the race despite losing Jason Spezza and Erik Karlsson. Next up is a date with the Boston Bruins in a potential first-round playoff series preview, and just two points separating the two teams for home ice advantage should they meet as the fourth and fifth seeds in the Eastern Conference.

Ottawa Senators @ Boston Bruins
Tuesday April 2, 2013 – 7:00 PM ET
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
NHL Sports Betting Line: Boston – 140

The Bruins have dominated the season series between these teams and that is the difference between them in the standings. Boston is two points up on the Senators for fourth place, and have won all three meetings between these teams this season.

NHL Betting Preview: Ottawa Senators

Ottawa has managed to salvage a point in two of those losses, each of them by one goal, but getting over this hump and beating the Bruins will be a major step when you consider they could match up in the opening round. The Senators could have Spezza back by then, although he won’t return to the lineup for at least a couple more weeks. Ottawa has done an excellent job of keeping opponents off the score sheet and they rank first in the NHL in goals per game allowed, but they need to find a way to score themselves after coming up just short in three-straight versus Boston.

NHL Betting Preview: Boston Bruins

The Bruins rank third in the NHL in goals per game allowed, and have done an excellent job in front of goaltender Tuukka Rask, whose 2.02 goals against average is among the league’s best. The difference in this season series has been Boston’s ability to crack the Senators’ defense, and getting traffic to the net is a big part of it. The Bruins’ penalty kill is No. 1 in the NHL, and they don’t give up much space five-on-five. Veteran Patrice Bergeron has reemerged as one of Boston’s best players this season, with a team-leading 21 assists and 31 points this season. The Bruins would have loved to add Jarome Iginla, but after losing out on him to the Pittsburgh Penguins they will turn their attention elsewhere.

NHL Betting Preview: Outlook & Pick

Boston is the better team on paper, and it has shown up on the ice as well as the Bruins have found a way to win all three games against Ottawa this online betting season. The Senators have remained in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race despite injuries thanks to their goaltending and excellent defensive play, but they don’t match up well against a Boston team that plays a similar style only with much more talent.

NHL Betting Pick: Boston Bruins