Two teams battling for playoff positioning will meet for the fourth time this season and the second time in as many days when the Pittsburgh Penguins (18-9-1) host the Boston Bruins (14-8-4). Pittsburgh and Boston on third and fourth in the East Division, respectively.
The Bruins won the first two meetings of the year, once in overtime, but the Penguins came out on top Monday night. Tuesday’s odds have the Penguins slightly favored at (-113) while the road Bruins are (-103). Puck drop is at 7:00 P.M. Eastern.
Boston Bruins Preview
The Bruins have struggled in recent weeks, going 3-5-2 in their last ten games, and are now just one point ahead of Philadelphia for fourth in the division.
Part of the problem has been the recent poor play in net from Tuukka Rask, while the other main factor has been injuries. This season, Rask has a -1.84 goals saved above expected (GSAA), meaning he’s allowing more goals than he’s expected to, based on shot quality, type, distance, and several other factors.
For comparison, Rask’s backup, Jaroslav Halak, has a 0.63 GSAA. The league leader in that category is Andrei Vasilevkiy of Tampa Bay, who is at 13.26.
Rask was injured last week, and with Halak getting the Monday start, the Bruins turn to Daniel Vladar in net. If that is the case, it will be Vladar’s first NHL start.
The 23-year-old Czech netminder was a third-round pick for the Bruins in 2015. He appeared in a playoff game last season for Boston, allowing three goals on 15 shots in just under 29 minutes against Tampa Bay in the second round, relieving Halak in a 7-1 meltdown.
Joining Rask on the injury report are forwards Zach Senyshyn, Ondrej Kase, and defensemen Brandon Carlo, Kevan Miller, Jeremy Lauzon, and John Moore.
Pittsburgh Penguins Preview
Evgeni Malkin scored a goal and an assist against Boston Monday night to become the third Russian-born skater to record 1,110 career points, joining Alexander Ovechkin (1,299) and Sergei Fedorov (1,179). He is also the 63rd player in NHL history to hit that milestone and is one of five active players to hit that point total, joining Joe Thornton (1,521), Ovechkin, teammate Sidney Crosby (1,292), and Patrick Marleau (1,193).
Malkin has scored four goals and added eight assists during his active eight-game point streak. The Penguins are 7-1-0 in that span.
After recording 42 saves in Monday’s 4-1 win, Tristan Jarry will get a well-deserved night off. Casey DeSmith will take over between the pipes for the Pens. This season, DeSmith has a 6-2-0 record, along with a 2.23 GAA, a .912 save percentage, and a shutout.
On to the Pick
After last night’s game, it’s tough to have a lot of confidence in the Bruins, despite their high shot total. With the injuries piling up and having a rookie goaltender making his NHL debut on the second night of a back-to-back, I don’t have a lot of faith in the Bruins to win this game.
I’ll be taking the Penguins to extend their six-game winning streak Tuesday night.
Free Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins (-113)
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