Boston Bruins vs Florida Panthers 4/28/2023 Analysis, Predictions and Picks
East 1st Round – Game 6, BOS leads series 3-2
The Florida Panthers managed to stave off elimination in Game Five and will now have home-ice advantage in Game Six against the Boston Bruins. The Bruins had a golden opportunity to close out the series at home but ultimately fell in overtime. The Panthers will need to maintain their newfound resilience and win this game to force a pivotal Game Seven. Meanwhile, the Bruins will be looking to avoid such a scenario and advance to the Second Round with a win.
The Bruins have been dominating on the offensive end, scoring a whopping 19 goals in five games, with 13 of those goals coming in the last three matchups. The trio of Taylor Hall, Brad Marchand, and Tyler Bertuzzi has been leading the charge with a combined total of 11 goals and nine assists. Additionally, depth players like Jake DeBrusk, Pavel Zacha, and Marcus Foligno have contributed four goals and eight assists, while blue-liners Dmitry Orlov and Charlie McAvoy have provided eight assists. While Orlov, McAvoy, and Hampus Lindholm have been solid in the top two pairings, the rest of the defense has had a tough time containing the Panthers’ speed and skill. The Bruins’ goalkeeper Linus Ullmark has been the only reason why the team is still leading the series, making 146 saves out of 160 shots faced.
- Boston is 15-2 SU in their last 17 games against an opponent in the Eastern Conference.
- The total went OVER in 9 of Boston’s last 13 games played in April.
- The total hung OVER in 8 of Boston’s last 12 games when playing as the favorite.
Boston Bruins vs Florida Panthers 4/28/2023 Analysis, Predictions and Picks
The Panthers are facing elimination in Game 6 of their series against the Bruins, but they have some reasons to be optimistic. Their offense has finally woken up, scoring four goals in the last game. Matthew Tkachuk has been leading the way with three goals and four assists, including the overtime heroics in Game 5. He has also gotten help from Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett, who have combined for eight goals and 10 assists.
Brandon Montour and Gustav Forsling have also chipped in with six points from the blue line. But the Panthers’ defense has been their downfall, giving up 19 goals in the series. Montour and Forsling have been solid as the top pair, but the rest of the defense has been exposed by the Bruins’ firepower. Sergei Bobrovsky has also had a tough time in net, letting in nine goals on 86 shots.
- Florida is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games against an opponent in the Atlantic Division.
- The total stayed UNDER in 4 of the Florida Panther’s last 6 games played on a Friday.
- The total went OVER in 8 of Florida’s last 12 games when playing as the underdog.
Boston Bruins vs. Florida Panthers. The NHL Pick for this contest is the Boston Bruins. On Friday, the Florida Panthers will be playing on their home ice as underdogs, but they are still the favorites. Throughout this series, the Panthers have been able to come up with victories on their home turf. Furthermore, Sergei Bobrovsky is set to start his third game of the series, and he’s more rested than Boston’s Linus Ullmark. All these factors point towards the Panthers tying the series, setting up a Game Seven. Therefore, it is predicted that Florida will come out on top with a 3-2 win.
NHL Starting Time: 7:30 PM ET
Location: FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, FL
Date: Friday, April 28, 2023
TV: TNT
NHL Odds/Point Spread: Boston Bruins -175
NHL Totals: 6.5
