The Boston Bruins will be looking to take a 2-0 series lead in their Eastern Conference Final clash with the Carolina Hurricanes when they return to action on Sunday in Game 2 as -155 favorites on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Boston opened the series with a 5-2 victory as -155 home chalk on Thursday, and now has tallied wins in four straight outings going into Sunday afternoon’s Hurricanes vs. Bruins betting matchup at TD Garden.
In Game 1, the Bruins opened the scoring for the 10th time in 14 playoff games, and now are 8-2 in playoff action when drawing first blood. However, the team needed a strong third-period performance, sparked by a pair of power-play goals to seal the victory and grab the early series lead.
Goaltender Tuukka Rask contributed with yet another strong outing, turning aside 29 shots, and has now averaged 35 saves per game during the Bruins’ win streak. Overall, Boston has surrendered just six total goals during the team’s current four-game surge, and an average of just 1.80 goals per game over their past 10 outings.
That has helped fuel a steady run for the UNDER in totals betting, which has gone 5-2 over Boston’s past seven contests. But more importantly, the Bruins’ stingy defense has played an important role in their climb to the top of the Stanley Cup odds, where they now are +140 favorites.
Fresh off their first loss in seven games, the Hurricanes look to rebound in Game 2 as +135 road underdogs. Carolina had enjoyed steady goaltending of their own during a six-game win streak that ended Thursday night, allowing just 1.66 goals per game during that stretch, while the team’s penalty kill had surrendered just three total goals prior to giving up a pair in Game 1.
Carolina enjoys a solid record in Game 2 situations, posting wins in six of eight since dropping a 6-5 decision to the Montreal Canadiens in the second game of their first-round matchup back in 2006. However, the Hurricanes now have given up 22 total goals in five straight losses in Boston since April 2016, and have been limited to two or fewer goals in eight of 11 visits to TD Garden.
Already viewed as this year’s Cinderella story entering the conference finals, the Hurricanes look to Game 2 listed as +260 underdogs on the NHL playoff series prices, and have also lost ground on the Stanley Cup odds, where they now lag at +650 odds.
