The Boston Bruins will look to notch their fifth consecutive victory when they hit the ice against the New York Rangers as -135 moneyline favorites Thursday night at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Boston enters Thursday night?s Rangers vs. Bruins betting matchup at TD Garden tied with New York atop the Eastern Conference wild-card standings with 52 points. However, the Blueshirts hold four games in hand.
The B?s have played well of late, allowing just six goals during their current four-game win streak while posting victories over the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning — two of the leading teams in the Eastern Conference.
Boston’s win streak comes on the heels of a brutal stretch that started in late November, during which the team posted just six wins in 19 games while suffering seven losses as moneyline favorites at the sportsbooks.
The red-hot Rangers arrive in Beantown with 13 wins in their last 15 contests. However, the Bruins have had New York?s number in recent meetings, going 7-1 in their last eight matchups.
Boston follows up Thursday night?s game with a visit from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. The Jackets gave up three third-period power-play goals in a disappointing 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night, their third defeat in three games.
It has been a disappointing season for Columbus, which opened the season to high expectations after reaching the postseason for just the second time in franchise history last season. But with just 18 wins at the halfway point this year, the Jackets have tumbled to a distant 75-1 on the odds to win the Stanley Cup at the sportsbooks.
The St. Louis Blues will look to post their sixth consecutive victory Thursday when they face off against the Detroit Red Wings as strong -165 moneyline favorites.
The Blues have claimed victory in the first three games of their current seven-game homestand, and have averaged 5.8 goals per game during their win streak. The Wings currently sit in the third spot in the Atlantic Division despite their mediocre 6-9 record in their last 15 games.
St. Louis welcomes the struggling Toronto Maple Leafs to town Saturday. The Leafs are winless in five of their last six games, dropping them out of the wild-card race in the East.
Meanwhile, the Red Wings return home following Thursday?s game to prepare for a date against the league-leading Nashville Predators on Saturday before facing the Eastern Conference basement-dwelling Buffalo Sabres on Sunday.
Thumbnail photo via Adam Hunger/USA TODAY Sports Images
