KEY POINTS

  • Bruins look to rediscover their winning ways against Stars
  • Bruins are favored at home
  • Stars are four points behind the top spot in the Central Division

In a rare fashion, the Boston Bruins have lost two straight while giving up a combined 14 total points against Vancouver and Calgary, respectively. They will avoid a third straight defeat and back-to-back losses at home when they host the Dallas Stars on Thursday inside the TD Garden. The visiting Stars, who notched their seventh win in nine games, improved to 80 points in the season, just four points removed from the St. Louis Blues who are at the top of the Central Division.

Dallas Stars

The Stars dismantled the Hurricanes in Carolina on Tuesday, 4-1, to make it two wins in a row after they were trounced by the Blues last Friday in a top-level clash in the Central. Coach Rick Bowness experimented with a new line of Roope Hintz, Jason Dickinson and Denis Gurianov who then repaid his trust by pouring in seven points and three goals against Carolina. With the formula working, we could expect the Stars’ head tactician to stick with the same ploy against the best team in the league on Thursday.

Boston Bruins

Coach Bruce Cassidy was a picture of frustration after last Tuesday’s 5-2 defeat against the Flames at home as he rued the Bruins’ lack of effort in their last two outings. Nick Ritchie, acquired by Boston from Anaheim on Monday’s trade deadline, was hardly a factor in his debut as a Bruin as he did not register a shot on goal and was -2 to finish the game. At 90 points in total this season, Boston relies on a five-point cushion to hold its seat at the peak of the NHL.

Odds and Trends

The NHL Betting Odds remain conservative for this game, tagging the NHL-best Bruins as favorites at home -175 despite the two straight setbacks, while the Stars are slight underdogs at +155 to win.

The Stars are 7-1 in their last 8 Thursday games and 6-1 in their last 7 games as an underdog.

The Bruins are 5-0 in their last 5 vs. Central and 7-1 in their last 8 games as a home favorite.

Over is 4-1 in Bruins last 5 vs Western Conference.

Under is 5-1 in Stars last 6 games as an underdog and 4-1 in Bruins last 5 after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game.

Prediction

Bruins win, 3-2

Tuukka Rask Boston Bruins
The Bruins and goalie Tuukka Rask have the best odds to win the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs. Reuters