The Boston Bruins return home Thursday from a successful two-game swing through Florida in search of a third straight victory as they host the Carolina Hurricanes as -205 favorites on the NHL moneyline at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Following a 1-0 overtime win in Tampa Bay on Tuesday night, Boston now sits alongside the Lightning atop the Atlantic Division standings with 83 points heading into Thursday night’s Hurricanes vs. Bruins betting matchup at TD Garden. However, the Lightning continue to hold a game in hand on Boston.
The win in Tampa came on the heels of a 5-4 overtime win over the Florida Panthers on Monday, improving the Bruins’ recent record away from home to 11-2 in their past 13 games.
Boston has enjoyed a little less consistency on home ice, going 4-6 over its past 10 games, and has scored greater than two goals just once in its past four, a 4-2 win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks a week ago.
But with an overall record of 12-6 in their past 18 outings, the Bruins finally have started to gain ground on the odds to win the Stanley Cup, drawing alongside the Panthers at 18-1 after being stalled at 25-1 since mid-January at the sportsbooks.
The Hurricanes’ visit to Boston marks the first stop on a five-game road trip that could determine their playoff fate. Following a 4-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night, Carolina remains four points back of the Detroit Red Wings in the race for the second Eastern Conference wild-card berth.
However, the Hurricanes have done themselves no favors of late, failing to post consecutive wins during their current 4-6 run. They are a dismal 2-5 in their past seven road games, and are just 3-5 this season on the first date of a multi-game road trip.
The Bruins continued their dominance over the Hurricanes with a 4-1 victory in Carolina on Feb. 26, improving to 8-2 in their last 10 meetings, according to the OddsShark NHL Database, including wins in their past four clashes at TD Garden.
Following a day off Friday, the Bruins will return to action on Saturday, hosting the New York Islanders before embarking on a critical nine-game stretch that includes eight road contests, starting against the San Jose Sharks next Tuesday.
The Bruins grabbed a pair of wins in Brooklyn earlier this season, extending their win streak against New York to four games, but are just 2-4 in their last six games at home against the Islanders.
Thumbnail photo via James Guillory/USA TODAY Sports Images
