New York Islanders (38-20-8) vs. Boston Bruins (39-17-9)
June 7, 2021 6:30 pm EDT
The Line: Boston Bruins -172 / New York Islanders +155; Over/Under: -5.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Boston Bruins and the New York Islanders meet in game five of their best of seven playoff series in NHL action from TD Garden on Monday.
The New York Islanders will look to take a series lead after evening the set up at one win apiece following their 4-1 win over the Bruins on Saturday.
The game was scoreless through the opening 20 minutes before David Krejci gave Boston the lead just under four minutes into the middle period. Boston’s lead lasted all of 2:39 before Kyle Palmieri tied the game at one for the Isles. The 1-1 scoreline held up through the rest of the 2nd and for the better part of the 3rd period before Mathew Barzal gave the Islanders the lead with just under seven minutes to go. Boston tried their best to get back into the game, but New York would add an insurance goal thanks to Casey Cizikas with just over a minute to go and J-G Pageau added a 4th Islander goal for good measure in the dying seconds.
Semyon Varlamov got the win between the pipes for the Islanders after stopping 28 of 29 shots faced in the winning effort while Tuukka Rask took the loss in goal for Boston after allowing two goals on 32 shots in defeat.
New York is 7-3 in their last 10 Monday games and 4-0 in their last 4 games playing on 1 days’ rest while the under is 42-20-5 in their last 67 games as a road underdog. Boston is 11-2 in their last 13 games as a home favorite and 38-16 in their last 54 games played on 1 days’ rest while the over is 11-5-1 in their last 17 Monday games.
I have a feeling this series is going seven games, but if that’s the case we still have two games to get there. With that said, these two teams have traded wins back and forth and while the pattern continuing would make sense, I just think there’s too much value to be had here with the Islanders after earning that hard-fought win in game four to even up the series. Boston’s a tough out at home, but I think the Islanders can ride their defense to pick up a win and get us some nice plus money here.
