NHL Playoff Preview: Eastern Conference Finals Game 7: Tampa Bay Lightning @ Boston Bruins

Online Sports Betting Overview

The Boston Bruins seem much more comfortable on home ice in the Eastern Conference Finals than they do playing in Tampa Bay. With the 2011 Belmont Stakes betting in full swing, the Bruins get a chance to punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup finals on home ice. The NHL highlights for game six were not impressive for Boston goaltender Tim Thomas and his defense. But this is the same group that put in another Vezina Trophy-caliber season, and they know how to get the job done.

Martin St. Louis and the other price per head Tampa Bay Lightning players have to be looking over their shoulders at this point and wondering when things are going to change in this series. The Bruins have tried to play a run-n-gun style of hockey with the Lightning almost since game one, and the open ice has been brutal for the Bruins. The Lightning skate well in open ice and the Bruins do not. That means that fans can look for the Lightning to be much more contained in game seven as the Bruins bring the hammer down.

Tampa Bay Lightning

It is unusual that a team can bench its starting goalie in the playoffs and then win when that starting goalie is brought back. To be honest, the Lightning play the same kind of game regardless of who is in goal. But Dwayne Roloson appears to be more comfortable playing the wide open style than Mike Smith. The problem is that Roloson faced only 20 shots in game seven but he allowed four goals. He allowed the fourth goal at a critical time in the third period and left the Bruins with plenty of time to try and tie the game. Tampa Bay will need to come back and play some defense if they want to win this series. Lecavalier and the rest of the scorers are perfectly capable of back-checking, it just remains to be seen if they will do it or not.

Boston Bruins

Boston goalie Tim Thomas has been flopping around in the Boston goal crease for this entire series, but he seems to have been least effective in the last three games. Thomas has allowed five goals twice in the last three games, and he did not look at all impressive in game six. But when the series shifts back to Boston for game seven, Thomas will be back in his comfort zone. Truth be told, Thomas has allowed five goals to the Lightning four times in this series, and his only shutout of the series came in Tampa. But home ice has been good to the Bruins this entire playoffs, and that will be a factor in this game seven.

The Bottom Line

The Bruins have the ability to slow the Lightning down and make game seven a physical contest. Once the Bruins do that, the Lightning are out of their element. Look for the Bruins to pound the Lightning every chance they get, and look for Boston to be very physical in front of both nets in this game seven.

Pick: Boston Bruins