Betting on the NHL Playoffs in Massachusetts

Betting on the NHL playoffs is a difficult proposition. Choosing any team to accumulate 16 wins in the extremely tough NHL playoffs is asking a lot. But when it comes to NHL playoff bets, there may be no more sound choice than the Boston Bruins.

Each year, contenders emerge when NHL playoffs betting begins. But the Bruins have made their case to be the contender in the NHL this year thanks to a historic run. Let’s get into what the Bruins have won and why they should be your featured team when betting on the NHL playoffs.

What the Bruins Have Achieved

To call this season a historical one would be an understatement. One of the top reasons to make your NHL playoff bets on the Bruins is because of the torrid pace they have set from opening night to this point.

For starters, they set a franchise-record with 125 points and the season isn’t over. They are just the fourth team in league history to win 60 games, doing so through 77 contests. They are the fastest team to hit the 100-point mark, doing so in one fewer game than the record-setting 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens. If they hold pace, they will hit 133 points, creating a new record (though the Canadiens did it in 80 games).

The goaltending has also been off the charts. With a combined .931 save percentage, the team is close to the league-record mark set in 1968-69 by the St. Louis Blues at .934. Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman have been nothing short of dominant on a level that hasn’t been seen in decades.

The Bruins set the record for the fastest to 20 wins, 30 wins, 40 wins, 50 wins, and 60 wins. They have been dominant from bell to bell. And yet there are still people who think that, when it comes time to start betting on the NHL playoffs, another pick would be more suitable.

Why the Bruins Can Win it All

When the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin, everyone is going to look for an edge when it comes to NHL playoffs betting. But the clear favorite is there for a reason and can make betting on the NHL playoffs a bit simpler.

There are plenty of reasons why the Bruins can win it all this season.

The Bruins are currently priced at to win the Stanley Cup.

Here are a couple of the biggest reasons to consider when placing your NHL playoff bets.

The Goaltending is Dominant

Every year the NHL Playoffs roll around, there is talk that a hot goaltender can be a difference maker. But what happens when a team has a duo so dominant that it hasn’t seen anything like this in ages? That is what the Bruins are bringing to the table.

Ullmark and Swayman have been the best of friends both on and off the ice, but that is just the sub-story. The real story has been how dominant they have been between the pipes all year long for the Bruins.

Ullmark is the runaway favorite for the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goalie. He has an obscene 1.95 goals against average and an even more absurd .937 save percentage. Oh, he’s even scored a goal just in case his season wasn’t ridiculous enough. If he doesn’t claim the Vezina, there will be an investigation into the voters.

Without great goaltending, no team can win the Cup. Having a dominant duo – Swayman has a measly 2.20 GAA and .920 save percentage, no big deal – that can keep the opponent stifled will mitigate any offensive streakiness.

The Bruins have allowed 29-fewer goals than the next-best team in the league, the Carolina Hurricanes. Ullmark will no doubt be given the lion’s share of playoff action but having Swayman in the wings is a reassurance that most of the other teams in the league do not share.

Check out Draft Kings offer to bet on the Bruins today here.

How about a hat trick helping for lunch? 🎩 🍝 pic.twitter.com/GtbYFPVO2U
— p - Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 10, 2023

Pasta Power

Another reason to make sure that you choose the Bruins when betting on the NHL playoffs is because of David Pastrnak. Not since Bobby Orr have the Bruins had a single dominant player that could challenge for a scoring title and MVP. That is what Pastrnak is doing this season.

Sure, Connor McDavid of Edmonton is the unquestioned MVP. He is doing video game stuff that only 1980s Wayne Gretzky has done. But you can’t ignore the performance that Pasta has put on for the Bruins this season.

Through 77 games, he has set career-highs in goals (56) and points (103). He is fifth in the league in scoring, behind only Tampa’s Nikita Kucherov and the two-headed Oiler monster of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

He has proven himself to be among the most dynamic goal-scorers in the NHL, trailing only McDavid’s 62 tallies. He is the best right winger in the game today and has the ability to break any game open with his scoring ability.

While it takes more than a dominant scorer – looking again at you, Edmonton – to win a Cup, having one in addition to the group the Bruins currently have equates to a championship recipe. If Pasta can continue his trail of dominance in the postseason, betting on the NHL playoffs will become a little easier.

We're never too full for more 🍝 content.

Watch #BehindTheB ➡️ https://t.co/L21LLEtWe4 pic.twitter.com/HcGMDGcRIO
— p - Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 10, 2023

The Last Ride

While this has been a season to remember for the Bruins, making some NHL playoff bets a bit clearer, it is also bittersweet. The reason is that it is widely believed to be the last ride for the current core of Boston Bruins in Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Krejci.

The trio has been together for a long, long time, interrupted for one season when Krejci returned home to Czechia to play during the 2021-22 season. He is signed to a one-year deal and it is believed that he will be done after this season, in the NHL at the very least.

Captain and longtime stalwart Bergeron is on a one-year deal as well. He is rumored to be heavily considering retirement as recently as this past offseason. Maybe a magical run with his longtime teammate can be seen as a final shot, a way to go out by riding off into the sunset.

Betting on the NHL playoffs is difficult for a lot of reasons. And it rarely comes down to choosing the best team because the winner of the President’s Trophy hasn’t won the Stanley Cup since the Chicago Blackhawks achieved the feat in 2013.

Marchand, who is slightly younger at 34, isn’t exactly getting younger. This group will have all the motivation in the world to win one more and cap off their great careers. Anything less would be a hugely disappointing result to finish a career on.

Playing for a Coach They Like

There are rumors that Krejci returned home last year because he couldn’t stand another year of playing for Bruce Cassidy. There are stories out there that much of the roster had soured on the former coach and his tactics.

Since Jim Montgomery took the reins, nothing has gone wrong. It has been record after record after record and sheer dominance from bell to bell. When considering NHL playoffs betting, a team that plays for its coach can be a difference-maker.

The team has mentioned how much they love playing for Montgomery, mentioning that he allows them freedom on the ice. Moreover, he isn’t the kind of yelling leader that someone like Cassidy could be. That freedom has produced one of the most dominant seasons in the history of the NHL.

While there is some concern that Montgomery hasn’t gone through a tough stretch as a coach yet, that is nitpicking. Montgomery will likely face a bit more adversity in the playoffs, creating some tough situations. Still, with the core he has in place and the goaltending available, betting on the NHL playoffs will involve the Bruins much of the time.

Conclusion

A lot can happen when betting it comes to NHL playoffs betting. There are arguments galore as to why the Bruins can’t get the job done and bring home the franchise’s seventh Stanley Cup championship this spring.

That said, there are a lot of reasons to love their situation as well. It will bear a close eye but there is a lot to love about Boston and their chances. There is another thing to consider as well: their toughest competition will play one another.

The New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers have two of the best records in the league but will meet in round one. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning will tangle in round one as well. All of those teams are capable of winning the cup but will have to go through one another first.

The path to the Stanley Cup is never an easy one. But there are a lot of things pointing to the Boston Bruins walking away as champions in June.

Find more video NHL picks to find what are the odds for Bruins to win their games here.

Want To Learn More?

Is Online Sports Betting Legal in Massachusetts? 2023 Guide
Best Bruins Sports Betting Promo Codes - 2023 Guide
Massachusetts Live Betting Guide: How to Bet Live on Sports in MA
How to Bet on NBA Playoffs in Massachusetts (2023)
What Sports Betting Apps are Legal in Massachusetts? (2023)

Betting on the NHL Playoffs in Massachusetts: Should You Bet on the Boston Bruins?