The Boston Bruins have the worst bubble shape out of the eight scheduled to open Tuesday’s Stanley Cup playoffs.
Boston recorded the most productive problems overall in the normal season, but could not produce positive effects on circular robin games, falling to fourth place.
The Bruins’ path to a championship is easy as they face the top rested winner of the qualifying round, the Carolina Hurricanes.
Carolina is the only franchise to win three games directly in the qualifying round, and did so with a forged defense, which may be a bad sign for Boston’s attempt to ignite its offense.
Tuesday’s four-game list will begin with a rematch between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Tampa Bay Lightning. A year ago, Columbus eliminated seeded Tampa Bay with a sweep in the first round.
Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars will open the first-round game in downtown Edmonton, while Vegas Golden Knights and Chicago Blackhawks will close the calendar.
NHL Tuesday Hours
Odds Caesars Sports Betting.
Columbus (-160) v Tampa Bay (-180) (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN)
Calgary (-100) vs. Calgary Dallas (-115) (5:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN)
Carolina (-120) vs. Carolina Boston (-135) (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN)
Chicago (-170) vs. Chicago Vegas (-190) (10:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN)
All games can be streamed on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.
Choice
Carolina vs. Carolina Boston Less than 5.5 (-140)
Carolina’s good fortune in the Rangers final and Boston’s inability to reach the bottom of the net made it the best formula for submarines to attack in the first game.
The Hurricanes limited the Rangers to 4 goals in 180 minutes of the qualifying round, and dougie Hamilton did.
The 27-year-old has not played since January due to injury, but may be available for Game 1. Carolina’s head coach, Rod Brind’Amour, is “optimistic” about the defender’s status, according to Luke DeCock of Raleigh News. and Observer.Array
“I’m hopeful, ” he said. “I think we’re going through a lot today, of course. We’re moving through education today and see how it feels. If you can approve, you can approve. It’s a positive sign that he’s been in education with us the last few days. It turns out he feels better.”
Even if Hamilton can’t go, Jaccob Slavin and others will be able to involve the boston front row of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak.
Bergeron, the only member of the trio to record a point in circular robin games with a pass opposite Tampa Bay.
The two goalkeepers’ game can also play a role in a low-scoring case within the Scotiabank Arena.
Tuukka Rask of Boston has allowed two or fewer goals in 40 of his 91 postseason games. He has a save of Array927 and an average of 2.19 goals against in the playoffs.
Petr Mrazek and James Reimer posted save percentages above 900 and a GAA below 2.70 this season.
Mrazek has anyone’s in the playoffs, with a GAA of 1.88 and a save percentage of Array931 in 24 playoff starts.
Tampa Bay (-180) in Columbus
Even if Lightning minimizes the vengeance factor, you should think this is at least one component of its motivation to start strongly as opposed to The Blue Jackets.
Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper was quick to say that the afterlife is the afterlife when he talks about his team’s story with Columbus, according to NHL.com:
“What happened last year happened last year. It’s in the history books forever. Now it’s time to write your own story, and that’s what we intend to do with this team. We don’t know what’s going to happen. But he said well. From the beginning of the season, if you need to write your own story, you must participate in the playoffs, and we did.”
The Lightning won their only regular-season game with the Blue Jackets and played pretty well in their first two circular robin games against Boston and Washington.
The key to Tampa Bay can simply be a hot start. In his two victories in Toronto, he opened the scoring.
Columbus allowed the first purpose twice in his five most sensible series against the Maple Leafs, one of two in the first 20 minutes.
Look for Nikita Kucherov as Lightning’s offensive catalyst. He has 63 problems in the playoffs and can be just one of many motivated players to quickly start as opposed to Columbus after generating only one purpose and one lend one hand on the first circular of 2019.
If Lightning bombs The Columbus network with shots and leaves with a purpose or two at the beginning, they can console themselves in the series with a one-game advantage.
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Hockey Reference Statistics.
Rangers won the draw and for a bright future
Qualification of each team in the Stanley Cup playoffs