Tip: Heavyweight clash in Boston, wrong favorites?

Two teams that have made their mark in the league in recent seasons face off tonight. The Boston Bruins are likely remembered by many for their record-breaking season a couple of years ago when they amassed 135 points. Likewise, many have a great deal of respect for the stability and consistency of the Dallas Stars, who made it to the Conference Finals last season. However, both teams have experienced some hiccups in recent games, and it will be interesting to break down how things have really looked!

Boston Bruins assemble a “super line”

The Bruins haven’t been particularly impressive in the early stages and are coming off two losses to the Nashville Predators and the Utah Hockey Club. I felt that the loss to the Predators was somewhat expected, as they were desperately chasing their first win of the season and are, at their core, a strong team. The loss before that to Utah was a bit more disappointing, where the Bruins, after taking the lead, let Utah back into the game, who then capitalized and eventually tied before winning in overtime. I don’t put too much stock in the losses, but it’s safe to assume they got a stern talking-to after this road trip. Now, the Bruins return home to TD Garden, where they have been incredibly tough to beat in recent years, which provides a sense of security for a team facing adversity.

The coaching staff in Boston is clearly not satisfied with what they’ve seen so far, particularly regarding offensive production. To shake things up, they’ve done something similar to what the Edmonton Oilers recently did by putting their top offensive players on the same line. For the Bruins, this has meant forming a first line of Brad Marchand, Elias Lindholm, and David Pastrnak. It didn’t have an immediate impact against the Nashville Predators, but it definitely sends a message to the team, and I believe we could see the effects tonight after they’ve had one game to build some chemistry.

Dallas Stars are winning, but not impressively

The Dallas Stars have been a winning machine in recent seasons, thanks largely to the fantastic depth they have among their forwards. When you can afford to have players like Matt Duchene and Tyler Seguin on your third line, there’s plenty of reason to be envious. They are, quite simply, a very balanced and complete team—there’s no denying that. At the same time, they lost some key players before this season, with Joe Pavelski and Chris Tanev standing out. It doesn’t seem to have troubled the Stars too much, as they’ve continued to roll on, albeit without being overly impressive. Sure, they’ve secured wins, but like Boston, they find themselves in the lower tier if you look at underlying stats. Both teams have struggled a bit to generate offense while allowing more chances against. It’s not uncommon for teams that often protect leads, but I’m not entirely convinced that Dallas has been as good as their results suggest.

The Stars are coming off a loss to the Buffalo Sabres, and before that, they beat the Edmonton Oilers without being impressive. Although the final score in that game was 4-1 in favor of Dallas, the win came after they maximized their chances. They also lost the game before that to the Washington Capitals. In my opinion, Dallas hasn’t been particularly impressive in any of their last three games. For that reason, I find it hard to accept that they are now facing the Boston Bruins on the road and entering the game as relatively clear favorites.

Conclusion and Betting Tip

Since the odds for the match opened, the Dallas Stars have been bet down and are now the favorites going into tonight’s game. I have a hard time accepting that. Boston Bruins may have had issues finding harmony, but the team they are fielding is almost always in the game and can challenge, especially on home ice. Both teams come in with fully healthy rosters, and I expect to see Swayman against Oettinger in the goalie duel. A Boston team that returns home and has likely gotten a stern talking-to is, in my opinion, going to put up a serious fight in this type of game. Sure, the Stars are a team with a few more tricks up their sleeve, but I find it hard to agree that they should be the favorites!

I’m betting on Boston Bruins FT @ +175 on bet365. For those looking for a safer bet, Moneyline or Draw No Bet are also good options.