The Tampa Bay Lightning (23-15-3) travel to face off against the Boston Bruins (21-19-5) on Tuesday, January 14th. This game will be played at TD Garden in Boston and televised on ESPN+. The Bruins are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Lightning are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Jets. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.
Lightning vs Bruins
The Tampa Bay Lightning Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Tampa Bay’s 7-4 loss to the Jets dropped them to 23-15-3 this season. The Lightning held a 2-0 lead early, but the defense faltered, allowing seven unanswered goals. Tampa Bay entered the game as underdogs on the puck line, with the total set at 6.5 goals. The combined 11 goals easily surpassed that mark.
All four of Tampa Bay’s goals came from different players. They scored twice in the first period, but Winnipeg caught up and eventually took the lead for good in the third. The Lightning’s defense struggled, giving up two empty-net goals late in the game.
The Boston Bruins Are Coming Off A Win
With a 2-0 win over the Kraken, the Bruins improved to 21-19-5. Boston covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 6 goals was never threatened, as the teams combined for just 2.
Both of Boston’s goals came in the first period. Justin Brazeau opened the scoring at 16:37, and Charlie Coyle added a power-play goal at 10:03. The Bruins’ defense held the Kraken scoreless, with Jeremy Swayman stopping all 23 shots he faced.
Tampa Bay Offense Breakdown
The Lightning fired 30 shots on goal, but managed only 4 in a 7-4 loss to the Jets. Brandon Hagel opened the scoring with his 7th goal of the season, while Brayden Point followed with his 8th, which came on a power play. Mitchell Chaffee added his 4th goal, and Nikita Kucherov netted his 10th.
Tampa Bay had 8 giveaways and tallied 4 assists in the game. Jake Guentzel picked up his 8th assist of the season, and Nick Paul added his 7th. Victor Hedman and Kucherov were both credited with their 10th assists on Point’s power-play goal.
Bruins Offense Breakdown
The Bruins took 33 shots on goal but only scored twice in their 2-0 win over the Kraken. Justin Brazeau netted his 5th goal of the season, while Charlie Coyle added his 2nd, coming on a power play.
Both of Boston’s goals came in the first period, with Brazeau scoring 3:23 in and Coyle following at the 10:03 mark. The Bruins recorded 16 giveaways in the game.
Tampa Bay Team Defense
Defensively, the Lightning gave up the first goal of the game at 7:37 in the first period, and after tying the game at 4-4 in the third, they allowed three straight goals, including two empty-netters. Jonas Johansson made 27 saves with an 84.4% save percentage, while the defense recorded 16 hits and 6 takeaways.
Boston Team Defense
Boston’s defense was rock solid in their 2-0 win over the Kraken, with Jeremy Swayman stopping all 23 shots for a 100% save percentage. The Bruins’ defense also contributed 5 takeaways and 15 hits, helping secure the shutout.
Lightning vs Bruins Trends
- Although Tampa Bay has a straight up record of 5-5 in their last ten road games, they have not held up as well vs the puck line going 8-2. The team averaged 3 goals per game in these games.
- When looking at their past five home matchups, Boston has an puck line record of 3-2 while averaging 3 per game. The team went 3-2 overall in these games.
- Going back to their previous three games as the underdog, Boston has an puck line mark of 1-2 while going 1-2 straight up.
- Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Lightning have a straight up record of 7-3. But, their mark vs the puck line was just 7-3.
Lightning vs Bruins Prediction
For a moneyline pick, I’m taking the Lightning to pick up on a win over the Bruins and the road. With the moneyline sitting at -129, I’ll be locking in a bet on the Lightning straight-up.
If you’re looking for my recommendation on the puck line, I suggest taking the Bruins to cover. Even if the Lightning manage to win outright, this game is expected to remain competitive, and the Bruins should cover the puck line.
When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 5.5 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering on the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:January 14, 2025 Bruins, Lightning