Vegas Golden Knights - Boston Bruins predictions and free betting tips [12/01/2024]

The Vegas Golden Knights will be hosting the former team of their head coach, the Boston Bruins, in the NHL regular season.

Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights kicked off the season with an impressive 11-0-1 start, but now they're struggling, having lost 7 out of their last 10 games. This decline in form has affected their position in the Pacific Division, pushing them down to second place and fifth in the overall division. After an undefeated run of 12 games, the Golden Knights now have an overall win-loss record of 13-16 which is a significant drop from what they had anticipated. Jack Eichel continues to lead the team with 42 points, which include 18 goals, while Mark Stone and William Karlsson also contribute significantly to the team's gameplay. 

The injury to goaltender Adin Hill has further complicated the situation, keeping him out of action for a substantial period. Defender Zac Whitecloud also missed the recent victory over the New York Islanders due to an upper-body injury. Hill has started training and might return to the rink soon. These injuries have opened up opportunities for new players such as defender Lukas Cormier, who made an assist in his NHL debut, and defender Tobias Bjornfot, joining Vegas from the LA Kings. Barbashev has accrued 19 points from 41 matches, Dorofeev scored a recent goal and has 10 points with 5 goals resulting from 21 matches.

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins, leaders in the Atlantic Division, have encountered a series of difficulties, losing three of their last five matches. The team continues on a four-match road trip, facing Colorado and Arizona where they suffered two 3:4 defeats. These losses have been part of a recent slump for the Bruins, who, after a successful 17-4-3 season start, have won just 7 of their last 16 matches.

The team showcases stability in defence, ranking third in the league for defensive metrics, despite allowing six goals in the recent match. The attack highlights David Pastrnak with 53 points, including 23 goals. Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron also contribute significantly to team's scoring. The arrival of newcomer Matt Poitras and the return of van Riemsdyk have added a new dynamism to the Bruins' play. Young players like the Russian Georgi Merkulov and defender Loreau are also starting to showcase their skills, strengthening the team’s lineup.

Head-to-Head Encounters

The rivals have not played each other for more than a year, the last match being on December 12th, 2022, where Boston won 3:1. The Bruins have claimed 3 victories in their last 5 matches.

Prediction for the Vegas Golden Knights Vs Boston Bruins match

Boston has been hit by a series of key player injuries, obstructing their path to success. Despite this, the team continues to adapt and seek ways to victories in the remaining part of the season. Lately, Vegas has been consistently playing "under", and Boston are tired after a two-match away series and heavy overtime losses. Especially likely to miss the match is Ullmark, who was helped off the rink with a lower-body injury in Wednesday's match against Arizona. Taking this into account, I'd like to place a bet on the total goals being under 6.