The Boston Bruins return from the NHL All-Star break with games on back-to-back nights, starting Tuesday when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Bruins entered the break on a high note after posting home victories over the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins, but they take a three-game road skid into Tuesday night?s Bruins vs. Lightning betting matchup at Amalie Arena.
The Bruins? wins as home favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com over the Penguins and tRed Wings last week ended a four-game slide during which they scored just six total goals. However, Boston has struggled to build a lengthy string of victories, with its most recent three-game surge coming back in early December.
The road also has been unkind to the Bruins, who have tallied just six wins in their past 18 games away from TD Garden, scoring two or fewer goals in nine of those games, including two of their three recent losses, according to the OddsShark NHL Database.
However, Boston has had the Lightning?s number of late, emerging victorious in each of its past three visits to Tampa Bay, including a 4-3 shootout victory as a +129 road underdog on Nov. 27.
The Lightning return home after wrapping up a difficult six-game road trip and posting a dismal 3-7-2 record during the month of January that dumped them into sixth place in the Atlantic Division standings, six points back of the third-place Bruins.
Following Tuesday?s matchup, the Bruins travel to Washington for a Wednesday night clash with the Metropolitan-leading Capitals. Washington has a 13-1-1 record over its past 15 outings, and closes out a three-game road trip with Tuesday night?s matchup against the New York Islanders at Barclays Center.
The Capitals have won seven straight during their surge and have dominated the Bruins with seven straight wins, and six victories in their last seven dates with Boston at the Verizon Center.
The Bruins then wrap up the week with a home matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. Toronto opens the week trailing Boston by just one point in the Atlantic Division standings, but holds five games in hand. The Maple Leafs have taken three of their last four from the Bruins, including a 4-1 win at TD Garden as a +128 underdog on the NHL lines on December 10.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
