KEY POINTS

  • Boston Bruins are the best team in the NHL
  • Bruins visit Canucks in Vancouver
  • Canucks are underdogs at home

NHL’s best team Boston Bruins will try to fend off the Canucks when they visit Vancouver on Saturday night, hoping to reassert their command by replicating the performance they showed in their last meeting last Feb. 4 where they held the latter scoreless for a 4-0 win. The Canucks are in a tight five-team logjam fighting for a playoff berth in the Pacific Division, while the Bruins are sitting comfortably at the peak with a five-point upper hand over the Lightning in the Atlantic.

Boston Bruins

Ondrej Kase will make his debut as a Bruins after he was sent by Anaheim for David Backes and a draft pick on Friday. On the same day, Boston squeaked past Calgary, 4-3, to be the first team to reach 90 points in the season. Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak ganged up on Friday as they continue to run riot of every defense to keep the Bruins at the mountaintop of the NHL.

Vancouver Canucks

Tyler Toffoli, Vancouver’s newest acquisition, made a good account of himself in his debut with the Canucks on Wednesday, although it resulted in a 4-3 shootout loss to Minnesota. Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller welcomed Tofolli in their line and will try to put him in a more comfortable position when they face the Bruins. Miller credited Tofolli in one of his goals in the match, setting him up perfectly as he reached his career-high in scoring.

Odds and Trends

The Bruins have put the opposition on notice, proving they have what it takes to rule the league. The latest NHL Odds could not agree more, tagging them as favorites away from home with a -145 money line price. The Canucks are underdogs at +125.

The Bruins are 4-0 in their last 4 vs. a team with a winning record and 10-1 in their last 11 overall.

The Canucks are 4-0 in their last 4 games as a home underdog and 4-0 in their last 4 vs. a team with a winning % above .600.

Under is 4-0-1 in Bruins last 5 in the third game of a 3-in-4 days situation and 4-0 in their last 4 games as a road favorite.

Over is 5-1 in Canucks last 6 games playing on 2 days rest and 5-1 in their last 6 vs. Eastern Conference.

Prediction

Canucks 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