Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA

Florida Panthers vs Boston Bruins: The East rivalry is heating up

The Boston Bruins are hosting the Florida Panthers today at TD Garden.

The Panthers are off to a tough start

The defending Stanley Cup champions, Florida Panthers, are 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 1-2 record. After beating the Bruins in the season opener, they lost 3-1 to the Ottawa Senators and 5-2 to the Buffalo Sabres. Sam Bennett has started the season well with 4 points in the first three games.

Is this finally the season for the Bruins?

The Boston Bruins are fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 2-1-0 record. After losing the season opener to the Panthers, they won 6-4 against the Montreal Canadiens and 2-1 in overtime against the Los Angeles Kings. Elias Lindholm leads the Bruins with 5 points so far in the season.

Betting Trends

The Bruins are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games against teams from the Eastern Conference and 2-5 SU in their last 7 games against teams from the Atlantic Division. Boston has played under the total goal line in 4 of their last 6 games overall, in 9 of their last 12 home games and in 4 of their last 5 home games against Florida. The Panthers are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games overall, 5-1 SU in their last 6 games against Boston, 4-2 SU in their last 6 games against teams from the Eastern Conference and 12-5 SU in their last 17 games against teams from the Atlantic Divison. Florida has played over the total goal line in their last 6 games overall, and 4 of their last 5 games on the road.

Prediction and Conclusion

The Florida Panthers eliminated the Boston Bruins in the playoffs in the last two seasons, and these two teams have built a fierce rivalry. The Panthers won the season opener 6-4 against the Bruins but have not won since then, while the Bruins have not lost since the opener. Florida has been the better team for a while now, but the Bruins are in better form and are as motivated as ever to payback the Panthers. It will be a game with a lot of contact, and the Bruins will win at the end.