The Boston Bruins (28-28-8) travel to face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning (37-21-4) on Saturday, March 8th. This game will be played at Amalie Arena in Tampa and televised on ABC. 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 3:00 ET.

Bruins vs Lightning

The Boston Bruins Are Coming Off A Win

Boston moved back to .500 with a 2-0 win over the Kraken, bringing their record to 28-28-8. The Bruins covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 6 goals went under, with only 2 goals scored in the game.

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, with Jeremy Swayman stopping all 23 shots he faced.

The Tampa Bay Lightning Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Lightning fell to 37-21-4 after a 7-4 loss to the Jets. Tampa Bay led 2-0 early, but Winnipeg responded with seven of the next nine goals. The total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, and the combined 11 goals easily surpassed that mark. Tampa Bay, as underdogs on the puck line, failed to cover.

Tampa Bay’s defense struggled, giving up four goals in the third period, including two empty-netters. Four different Lightning players found the net, with Nikita Kucherov’s goal at 13:09 in the third period tying the game at 4-4 before the Jets pulled away.

Boston Offense Breakdown

Boston’s offense came alive early in their 2-0 win over Seattle. Justin Brazeau netted his 5th goal of the season just 3:23 into the game, followed by Charlie Coyle’s 2nd goal, which came on a power play at the 10:03 mark of the first period.

The Bruins fired 33 shots on goal but were held scoreless after the first period. They recorded 16 giveaways and picked up 4 assists on their two goals.

Lightning Offense Breakdown

Tampa Bay’s offense generated 30 shots on goal and scored 4 times in their 7-4 loss to Winnipeg. Brandon Hagel netted his 7th goal of the season, while Brayden Point added his 8th on a power play. Mitchell Chaffee found the net for the 4th time this season, and Nikita Kucherov scored his 10th goal.

The Lightning scored twice in the 1st period, once in the 2nd, and added their 4th goal at the 13:09 mark of the 3rd period. Kucherov’s goal was unassisted, as was Hagel’s.

Boston Team Defense

Boston’s defense was dominant against Seattle, allowing 0 goals and only 23 shots on goal. Jeremy Swayman made 23 saves with a 100% save percentage, while the Bruins’ defense added 5 takeaways, 15 hits, and 27 blocks.

Tampa Bay Team Defense

Tampa Bay’s defense struggled late, giving up four goals in the 3rd period, including two empty-netters, leading to a 7-4 loss to the Jets. Goalie Jonas Johansson made 27 saves with an 84.4% save percentage. The Lightning’s defense also recorded 16 hits and 6 takeaways.

Bruins vs Lightning Trends

• Through their last ten road contests, the Bruins offense has averaged 2 goals per game while allowing an average of 4. Boston posted an overall record of 2-8 while going 6-4 ATS.
• In their last five home games, Tampa Bay has averaged 4 goals per game while allowing 1. The team’s record in this stretch was 5-0 while going 4-1 vs. the spread.
• Going back to their previous three games as the underdog, Tampa Bay has an puck line mark of 2-1 while going 1-2 straight up.
• Spanning across their last three games as the betting favorite, the Bruins have gone 1-2 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-2.

Bruins vs Lightning Prediction

If you’re considering a direct moneyline bet, the Lightning is the choice to make. However, with a payout of -289, you might want to use this bet as a building block for a parlay.

My recommended pick for the puck line is to take the Bruins to cover. Even if the Lightning win straight-up, this one should be close throughout and the Bruins should cover the puck line.

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 6 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering 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.