Pittsburgh Penguins (28-24-8) vs. Boston Bruins (36-13-15)
In an anticipated NHL showdown, the Pittsburgh Penguins travel to TD Garden to face off against the Boston Bruins this Saturday. With both teams showcasing a mix of resilience and challenge through the season, this matchup offers a compelling scenario for hockey expert picks. The Penguins come into this game with a somewhat inconsistent season. On the other side, the Bruins boast a stronger record. The game promises not just a display of high-level hockey but also significant implications for postseason positioning.
On offense, the Penguins depend heavily on Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for leadership and skill. Crosby continues his impressive goal-scoring with 32 goals and 31 assists while Malkin contributes 48 points (18 goals, 30 assists). But facing Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman’s.921 save percentage will provide an immense test. Swayman can restrict high-quality chances and limit effectiveness from Penguins top line, forcing Pittsburgh offense to find creative strategies in order to penetrate Boston defense.
Conversely, the Bruins’ offense, led by David Pastrnak’s phenomenal 90 points (38 goals, 52 assists), poses a significant threat to any team. Alongside him, Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle contribute to a balanced and formidable offensive line-up. Against the Penguins’ goaltender Tristan Jarry, who sports a .910 save percentage across 42 games, Boston’s high-flying offense will look to exploit any vulnerability. Jarry’s performance has been solid, but the depth and skill of Boston’s attack may challenge his consistency and ability to make game-changing saves.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Boston Bruins Game Info
| When: | Saturday, March 9, 2024, at 3:00 PM ET |
| Where: | TD Garden |
| TV: | ABC |
| Stream: | NHL.TV |
Goaltender Tristan Jarry vs. Goaltender Jeremy Swayman
It’s been an up-and-down year for Tristan Jarry—18 wins against 19 losses. Jarry needs to stay cool amidst the relentless offense from the Bruins, as it’s arguably one of the most efficient groups of attackers in the league with the numerous ways they’re able to make plays. He might, in that case, just be the difference for the Penguins in critically decisive power-play situations.
Jeremy Swayman has been quite a find for the Bruins by all means. His stats read 20 wins, a good .921 save percentage, and 2.49 goals against heading into the playoffs. The number posted by him has an ominous potential contribution for Boston, which can come in vital against a Pittsburgh outfit that has sometimes shown patchiness. This, in all likelihood, was going to prove key in keeping the Boston defensive framework very solid and delaying scoring attempts for quite a while.
NHL Odds/Point Spread: TBD, Total Odds: TBD
As the betting odds are yet to be determined, insights and recommendations will hinge on the performance trends of both teams. However, given the Bruins’ home advantage and their recent form, they might emerge as the favorites once the odds are published.
Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Trends
Pittsburgh, on the other side, has been more troubled to find consistency of late, most especially on the road, hence winning only three of the last five games overall and their ATS turning out to become very inconsistent.
Boston Bruins Betting Trends
Now with the Bruins evening out at home and against the spread over their last five games, it really becomes imperative that they make home-ice advantage stand. Most of their recent games have gone over, which could propel them into an edge against the Penguins.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Boston Bruins 3/9/24 Betting Picks
It is quite an interesting puzzle no doubt considering the trends and analysis of the game. The Bruins are well placed with their good home record and offensive weapons that finds them coming against a team with inconsistencies in the form of the Penguins. They can surprise the topsides of the league with players like Crosby and Malkin.
At the close of everything, Bruins are just a better all-rounded team and have stiff goaltending. So give them the edge in the game. The real key will be whether the Pittsburgh offense can break through the Boston barricades and Swayman. Add in everything else, and all in location should feature a hotly contested tilt with perhaps one more gun should see the same Boston team winning out.
That is a strong pick in favor of Boston, assuming things work out as anticipated. That bodes well in properties to land guys aiming to, what, David Pastrnak to score, or taking the ‘over’ on the total goals. Be sure to check out the latest odds and news from the very best online casinos and platforms.
