Panthers vs Bruins Odds, Game 1 Prediction | NHL Betting Preview (Monday, April 17)

Panthers vs. Bruins Game 1 Odds

The most wonderful time of the year has finally come: Game 1s of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Florida Panthers head to New England to take on the Boston Bruins. After an up-and-down season, Florida is lucky to be a part of the Spring Classic. The Panthers went 42-32-8 with 92 points, but ended their season with a 6-3-1 record.

History was made this season. No team in NHL history has won more games than the 2022-23 Boston Bruins (65). The B’s were dominant all season, and ended in apropos fashion, going 9-1-0 in their last 10 (including eight straight wins).

Here’s a look at odds, as well as my betting pick, for Panthers vs. Bruins Game 1.

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Florida Panthers

Florida has been in playoff mode for the better part of a month. Matthew Tkachuk has had an incredible season, setting career highs in points and assists. I fully expect him to be a thorn in the Bruins' side all series. Behind him, captain Aleksander Barkov averaged over a point per game, while Carter Verhaeghe proved to be a deadly scorer with 42 goals. Brandon Montour is also a valuable puck-moving D-man who registered a career-high 73 points.

What’s been so odd this season is that Florida’s offense was great for most of the year. The Panthers were seventh in expected goals with a 53.8 xGF% to go along with the 10th-best power play at 22.8%.

Defense and goaltending is where they struggled the most. Florida was 21st with a 2.76 xGA/60 and a 10th-worst penalty kill at 75.9%.

I’ll be curious to see who Florida rolls out in net. Alex Lyon helped ascend the Panthers with an incredible stretch, playing to a .914 SV% and a +7.5 goals saved above expected (GSAx). Sergei Bobrovsky hasn’t played since March 27 but has practiced with the team. We’ll see closer to game time if coach Paul Maurice rides with the experienced netminder.

Boston Bruins

What else needs to be said about the regular season the Bruins had? David Pastrnak ended his season on fire and finished with 61 goals and a 10-game point streak. Brad Marchand is always a threat and a proven playoff performer — it’ll be fun watching him go up against Tkachuk. Captain Patrice Bergeron has historically been one of the league’s top defensive centers, but he is day-to-day. Tyler Bertuzzi was a solid pickup at the trade deadline.

While the Bruins have a great offense, their success doesn’t solely rely on it. They weren’t overly dominant offensively, ranking sixth in expected goals with a 54.05 xGF% and a 12th-ranked power play that scored 22.2% of the time.

Boston has been a defensive stalwart all season. It had the top penalty kill with an 87.3 success rate, and was fifth with a 2.39 xGA/60.

Linus Ullmark will start, and he’s had a Vezina-like season. In 49 games, the Swedish goalie played to an eye-popping .938 SV% and a +42.4 GSAx.

Panthers vs. Bruins Pick

Sure, there’s a big President’s Trophy curse in the air, but I think the Bruins are the exception. What makes Boston so special is its elite goaltending and defense. That is what's made them unstoppable.

Florida is a good team that has had issues with what makes the Bruins elite. The Panthers do a wonderful job on the offensive end, but their goaltending and defense is below average. Given how deadly a player like Pastrnak is, it’s the perfect opportunity for him to get his chances.

What is interesting is that Florida has more or less had Boston’s number, going 2-2, which is better than what other teams can say. The Panthers are definitely scrappy, and they can make up for what they lack.

While I think there’s a high chance the Bruins end up on top, don’t be surprised to see the Panthers make it close.

Pick: Panthers +1.5 (-134)

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