The Tampa Bay Lightning (37-24-5) travel to face off against the Boston Bruins (30-29-8) on Saturday, March 15th. 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

The Lightning fell to 37-24-5 after a 7-4 road loss to the Jets. Tampa Bay was the underdog on the puck line, and the total of 11 goals easily surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5 goals.

Tampa Bay held a 2-0 lead early in the game, but their defense struggled, giving up four goals in the third period. Four different Lightning players found the net in the loss.

The Boston Bruins Are Coming Off A Win

Boston moved above .500 with a 2-0 win over the Kraken, bringing their record to 30-29-8. The Bruins, favored by -1.5 goals, covered the puck line, and the total of 2 goals fell short of the pre-game line of 6.

Both of Boston’s goals came in the first period, with Justin Brazeau scoring at 3:23 and Charlie Coyle adding another at 9:57. The Bruins’ defense held Seattle scoreless, as Jeremy Swayman stopped all 23 shots he faced.

Tampa Bay Offense Breakdown

Tampa Bay’s offense generated 30 shots on goal in their 7-4 loss to the Jets, with four different players finding the net. Brandon Hagel opened the scoring with his 7th goal of the season, while Brayden Point followed with his 8th, coming on a power play. Mitchell Chaffee added his 4th goal, and Nikita Kucherov, who now has 10 goals this season, scored unassisted in the third period.

The Lightning scored twice in the first period, added another in the second, and netted their fourth goal with 13:09 left in the third period. They recorded 8 giveaways in the game and had 4 assists on their 4 goals.

Bruins Offense Breakdown

Boston took 33 shots on goal but only found the net twice in their 2-0 win over Seattle. Justin Brazeau opened the scoring with his 5th goal of the season, while Charlie Coyle added his 2nd, which came on a power play.

Both goals came in the first period, with Brazeau scoring at 16:37 and Coyle following at 10:03. The Bruins also recorded 16 offensive giveaways.

Tampa Bay Team Defense

After Tampa Bay tied the game at 4-4 in the third period, their defense faltered, allowing three late goals to the Jets. The first came at the 7:38 mark, followed by two empty-netters. Goalie Jonas Johansson made 27 saves with an 84.4% save percentage, while the defense added 6 takeaways and 16 hits.

Boston Team Defense

Boston’s defense was stellar in their previous game, shutting out the Kraken 2-0. Jeremy Swayman made 23 saves with a 100% save percentage. The Bruins’ defense also recorded 5 takeaways and 15 hits.

Lightning vs Bruins Trends

• Across the Lightning last three road games, the team averaged 1 goals per game while allowing 3. Their record vs the puck line in these contests was 1-2, while going 0-3 straight-up.
• When looking at their past five home matchups, Boston has an puck line record of 3-2 while averaging 2 per game. The team went 1-4 overall in these games.
• Going back to their previous five games as the underdog, Boston has an puck line mark of 4-1 while going 2-3 straight up.
• Looking back on the team’s last three games as the favorite, the Lightning have a straight up record of 1-2. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 0-3.

Lightning vs Bruins Prediction

To those searching for a pure moneyline wager, the Lightning is the clear pick. Still, with a payout of -174, it’s worth thinking about including this bet in a parlay.

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.

With an over/under line sitting at 5.5 goals, we like this game to surpass that mark and recommend getting a bet down on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* 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.