- The New York Islanders are up 3-2 in their series against the Boston Bruins.
- The Islanders and the Bruins are only separated by one goal over the course of the series.
- The Bruins have -130 odds to win on the road in Game 6.
LAS VEGAS - The New York Islanders have a chance to eliminate the Boston Bruins from the NHL playoffs in Game 6.
The Islanders have shown dominance through depth in this series, and taken a 3-2 lead in a hard fought series.
They’ve made up the appreciable difference in star power between the two teams with depth and toughness - their bottom six has scored seven goals, while Boston’s has only scored one.
The Islanders have shown a remarkable ability to capitalize on mistakes, and create situations that lead to those mistakes, while simultaneously minimizing their own pitfalls.
Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask was pulled from Game 5 after nagging injuries led to poor performance, but he will be starting in Game 6.
Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy made the decision seem obvious:
"He's ready to go," Cassidy said. "So that's it. It's that simple. He's our starting goalie and he's healthy and ready to go. Let's hope he's on tonight and we're better in front of him than in Game 5."
Cassidy has made headlines for other reasons after Game 5, complaining about the officiating in the game to the point that he was fined $250,000 by the NHL.
It seems as though the squeaky wheel gets the grease, however, as Fluto Shinazawa of The Athletic reported that the referees will be different for Game 6.
Gord Dwyer and Dan O'Rourke will be the referees for Bruins-Saints Game 6.
— Fluto Shinzawa (@FlutoShinzawa) June 9, 2021
Game 5 was defined by the power play, with three of New York’s goals coming in that scenario, and Cassidy was not happy.
“I think they sell a narrative over there that it’s more like the New York Saints, not the New York Islanders. They play hard, they play the right way, but I feel we play the same way. The exact calls that are getting called on us do not get called on them, and I don’t know why.”
So with all of this - the officiating, Rask’s injuries and performance, the undeniable frontline talent advantage of the Bruins and the equally undeniable bench advantage of the Islanders - who is going to win Game 6?
Boston Bruins vs. New York Islanders Game 6 Odds
- Boston Bruins -130
- New York Islanders +110
The Bruins are slight road favorites in the game, according to the online sportsbooks, and in addition to their -130 odds to win outright, are sitting at +110 odds to win in regulation.
Boston Bruins vs. New York Islanders Game 6 3-Way Moneyline - Regulation Time
- Boston Bruins +110
- Draw +285
- New York Islanders +190
The regulation three way moneyline does a bit to contextualize how the sportsbooks expect the game to go.
It seems like there’s a fairly significant chance of overtime in a game between teams this evenly matched, to the point that Boston is not an odds-on favorite to win in regulation.
Overtime is not necessarily an expected outcome, but it is one that seems possible, especially when one considers that the series itself is only separated by one goal.
Will the game go to Overtime?
- Yes +275
- No -400
It’s worth noting there’s a slight discrepancy between the odds for a draw on the three way moneyline and the odds for a draw in the overtime prop.
Any sports betting fan wanting to wager on a draw would be better served to do so on the three way moneyline, where the odds are +285, as opposed to +275 on the prop.
Game 6 between the Boston Bruins and the New York Islanders takes place on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. EST, and will be broadcast on NBCSN and CBC.