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The Chicago Blackhawks will attempt to win two in a row as they face the Boston Bruins, who are making their season debut, at the TD Garden. It's hockey time, and we're sharing our NHL odds series, making a Blackhawks-Bruins prediction and pick while showing you how to watch.
The Blackhawks defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 in the first game of their season. Significantly, the Penguins got on the board first and led 2-0 midway through the second period. But the Blackhawks started the comeback when Ryan Donato scored a goal to cut the deficit to 2-1. Remarkably, Connor Bedard got his first NHL point as he set up the initial pass that led to the goal.
The Hawks continued the comeback in the third period when Cole Guttman tied it halfway through the third period. Then, Jason Dickinson gave them the lead with a goal. Nick Foligno sealed the game with an empty-netter in the final two minutes to win the game for the Blackhawks.
The Bruins had an amazing regular season as they went 65-12-5, winning the President's Trophy. Unfortunately, their season ended with a first-round loss to the Florida Panthers. The Bruins enter this matchup with the Blackhawks with some uncertainty. Now, they will face the top pick in the draft. Patrice Bergeron retired. Meanwhile, the Bruins signed James van Riemsdyk.
The Blackhawks and Bruins split the season series last season, with each team covering the spread and two goals in their respective wins.
Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Blackhawks vs. Bruins Odds
Chicago Blackhawks: +1.5 (-104)
Boston Bruins: -1.5 (-125)
Over: 5.5 (-142)
Under: 5.5 (+116)
How to Watch Blackhawks vs. Bruins
Time: 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT
TV: TNT and MAX
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Blackhawks Will Cover The Spread
The Blackhawks liked what they saw from their roster on opening night. Now, they hope they can thrive on back-to-back nights. They will need their players to rise to the occasion.
Bedard is a generational talent. Amazingly, he had 71 goals and 72 assists through 57 games in his season at Regina in the WHL. Bedard is now on the board in the NHL and will look for his first career goal.
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Taylor Hall did not do much yesterday in his Chicago debut. Regardless, he hopes to do a lot more than the output he had last season when he scored 16 goals and 20 assists. Foligno had a great debut, notching a goal and an assist. Meanwhile, Corey Perry also had a solid debut for the Hawks, distributing two helpers.
The Hawks want to see what they have out of rookie Lukas Reichel. Ultimately, he did not contribute much to the win yesterday. Expect him to try and play a larger role in this battle with the Bruins.
The Blackhawks will have Arvid Soderblom in the net. Significantly, he notched two wins in 15 games last season with a 3.45 goals-against average and a save percentage of .894. The Blackhawks will need better production out of him to have a chance to take down the Bruins.
The Blackhawks will cover the spread if the offense can generate some scoring chances. Then, the defense must avoid making critical mistakes and play some tight defense.
Why The Bruins Will Cover The Spread
The Bruins are looking to start their season with a bang and hope they can overcome the loss of Bergeron and produce some offense. Moreover, they hope the defense and goaltending continue to thrive.
David Pastrnak was one of the best players in the NHL last season, with 61 goals and 52 assists. Meanwhile, Brad Marchand added 21 goals and 46 assists. Pavel Zacha had 21 goals and 36 assists. Likewise, Jake DeBrusk tallied 27 goals and 23 assists. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy had seven goals and 45 assists. Also, Hampus Lindholm tallied 10 goals and 43 assists.
The goaltending tandem of Jeremy Swaman and Linus Ullmark were the best in the league last season. Ultimately, Swayman went 24-6-4 with a 2.27 goals-against average and a save percentage of .920, while Ullmark went 40-6-1 with a 1.89 goals-against average and a save percentage of .938.
The Bruins will cover the spread if the offense can get hot and take advantage of a bad Chicago defense. Then, the defense must pick up where they left off from last season and stop Bedard and the Hawks.
Final Blackhawks-Bruins Prediction & Pick
The Blackhawks played well in the opener. However, the Bruins are a much better team than the Penguins. Expect Chicago to struggle in this one, as their defense collapses down the stretch. Therefore, a Boston win by a few goals is the most likely outcome.
Final Blackhawks-Bruins Prediction & Pick: Boston Bruins: -1.5 (-125)
