Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the NHL match.
The Boston Bruins find themselves at the bottom of the Atlantic Division, just two points shy of the coveted playoff zone. They have the chance to close that gap against the Carolina Hurricanes, but it's a tough task, as the Hurricanes pose a formidable threat, even on the road.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes have returned from an extended road trip spanning two countries, six cities, and 11 days. They have left a trail of destruction in their path, securing five victories—with two coming in overtime—and suffering only one loss (4:3 against the St. Louis Blues). Over these six games, the Hurricanes have netted at least three goals, including overtime. Particularly successful during this road stretch was forward Martin Nečas, who tallied 10 points (4+6). The Czech is evidently putting in a solid effort in pursuit of a lucrative long-term contract beyond his current bridge deal.
Boston Bruins
Three out of their four wins came in the first four games of the season. Since then, losses have been the norm. Apart from a single win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in overtime (4:3), they managed to earn just one point away at the Utah Jazz (2:1 in OT). Even the walls of TD Garden haven't been much help, with two losses in three home games. The main issue is their lack of scoring; in two matches, they failed to score at all, and their other defeats saw just one or two goals scored. Their top scorer over the last five games is David Pastrňák, with only three points.
Carolina Hurricanes vs Boston Bruins Prediction
Quickly resolving the scoring inefficiencies seems unlikely, especially with the Carolina Hurricanes playing at home and successfully killing 86.7% of penalties (ranking 7th). Betting on a home win appears to be the wisest choice.
