Two road teams have a chance to ice their respective NHL semifinal series in a pair of Game 6s on Monday night. MetroBet tells you where you should place your wagers.
Boston Bruins at Columbus Blue Jackets
Moneyline: Bruins +100, Blue Jackets -120
Puckline: Bruins +1.5 goals (-280), Blue Jackets -1.5 goals (+240)
Betting Total: 5.5 goals (Over +105, Under -125)
Time (Eastern), TV: 7 p.m., NBCSN
The Boston Bruins’ top-line forwards came to life in Game 5 to turn back a determined Columbus Blue Jackets squad at TD Garden. With momentum squarely on their side, the Bruins go for the series-clinching victory at Nationwide Arena on Monday night.
David Pastrnak has been struggling with consistency throughout the playoffs for Boston. But he delivered two goals, including the final one of Game 5 with just 1:28 left in regulation, to give his club the 4-3 victory. It was part of a combined six-point, 15-shot effort in 5-on-5 play (per Boston.com) between Pasternak, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand.
“When you’re a player who wants the puck and wants those chances, it’s not easy and when everybody is on you all the time on the ice, not giving you any room,” goalie Tuukka Rask told reporters after Game 5. “But he’s the kind of player when he gets that room, he’s going to make them pay, and today he did.”
“Players like those guys that put a lot of pressure on themselves to lead, both production-wise, effort-wise…if it doesn’t go your way, there’s a level of frustration,” Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy remarked on Saturday night. “Now they break through the other night, tonight now they’re back to feeling good about themselves. If they start feeling it, it’s a tall task for the other team.”
Boston should expect Columbus to pull out all the stops on offense in this one, but the Bruins were third in goals allowed per game (2.59) this season. Expect Rask and the blueliners to have a solid game and help eliminate the Blue Jackets.
The play: Bruins moneyline
San Jose Sharks at Colorado Avalanche
Moneyline: Sharks +105, Avalanche -125
Puckline: Sharks +1.5 goals (-270), Avalanche -1.5 goals (+230)
Betting Total: 5.5 goals (Over -125, Under +105)
Time (Eastern), TV: 10 p.m., NBCSN
The Colorado Avalanche, who have been outshot in four straight games, will try to stave off elimination against the San Jose Sharks at the Pepsi Center on Monday night.
Were it not for the brilliant play of goalie Philipp Grubauer in recent days, Colorado might have already been sent packing. San Jose has scored just twice in Games 4 and 5 combined despite putting 71 shots on goal. The Sharks’ netminder, Martin Jones, was seldom tested in a 22-shot effort by the Avalanche forwards in Game 5. However, the venue has changed, and Colorado is bound to have made adjustments. Nathan MacKinnon, who had scored in three straight prior to Game 5, can only be kept quiet for so long.
The play: Avalanche moneyline
