Boston Bruins vs. Detroit Red Wings Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 4/5/2022

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

Venue: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI

Where to watch: Bally Sports Detroit, NESN

DraftKings: Check back later

BetMGM: Check back later

Caesars: Check back later

Bruins: 44-20-5

Red Wings: 26-34-9

Well, as fate would have it, the Boston Bruins find themselves back in the top three in the Atlantic Division. What a time to be alive because somehow, the Tampa Bay Lightning are a wild-card team with a lot of fatigue questions surrounding the two-time Stanley Cup champions.

But alas, the Bruins are 8-2-0 in their last 10 games and Toronto fans are quivering in their boots because the thought of a Bruins-Maple Leafs best-of-7 series is surely on the table with the only question being who would host the series and why would it be Boston and why would they win?

The Bruins can put a little bit of a bigger cushion on the Lightning for third in the Atlantic should they extend their winning streak to four games with a victory over the young but exciting Detroit Red Wings at the home of the pizza on Tuesday.

Boston completed a home-and-home sweep with the Blue Jackets on Monday in a 3-2 overtime victory in Columbus, two days after defeating the Blue Jackets 5-2 in Boston behind a 3-goal third period. Only this time, there was some excitement that needed to be had. Jake DeBrusk scored the game-winning goal in overtime off the feed from Hampus Lindholm.

"It wasn't out best. Give Columbus credit," DeBrusk said. "They were pushing pretty much all night and taking it to us in the neutral zone. It's one of those things where good teams find ways to win."

At this point in the season, it’s not about how badly you play. All that matters is if you get the win. And for Boston, any win in this crowded Atlantic Division is welcomed at any time of the day. Linus Ullmark got the start and made 20 saves for their seventh win in eight games. Craig Smith also had a goal, while Charlie McAvoy did Charlie McAvoy things and wrapped up two assists in this process.

When it comes to the Bruins, like we talked about the other day, the depth scoring is going to be the biggest problem for the Bruins. We know the top guys can score, ranging from Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and when healthy, Patrice Bergeron. Even getting Taylor Hall and top-six center (??) Erik Haula contributing at the right time.

Not to mention, the Bruins have goaltending in the post-Tuukka Rask era. Between Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman, the Bruins have the kind of tandem that can go far in the playoffs. But the bigger question becomes who starts in a seven-game series with, likely, Toronto? That’s a question I don’t think much have asked but I feel like it’s going to be a last few weeks worth making happen.

Once upon a time, we didn’t think the Red Wings were embracing the tank but by god they are doing it to even further of an extreme than I could’ve actually anticipated. Try finding a win in the ledger over the last month. Detroit has won two out of their last 15 games. They sold their souls to win an overtime game against Carolina and have not done anything since. Alex Ndejljkovic has turned into the biggest of pumpkins and clearly benefitted from playing in Carolina last year. Detroit is coming off a home-and-home sweep at the hands of the Ottawa Senators, both losses by a score of 5-2. Detroit has given up a grand total of 26 goals in their last four games.

Don’t make me math because that hurts, but that’s over six goals a game thanks in large part to giving up 11 in Pittsburgh on March 27.

“There’s no doubt that right now we’re beat down mentally,” Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. “Now, that’s not an excuse. We’ve got to fix that, but that’s the reality of it and we’ve got to climb our way out of it.”

And yet Steve Yzerman never wanted to change coaches. I’d say next season is Blashill’s last.

The biggest difference to the Bruins playing a back-to-back and any other team, is that the goalie rotation is going to play a huge difference here. Give me Swayman in a rout. There’s no way that the Bruins will be able to let their foot off the gas against a team that has already taken its foot off the gas and followed that with putting the car in park and taking a long nap. Bruins with the over. Bruins win 7-1

The Bruins are 14-5 against division opponents this season.

The Bruins are 60-40 in the past three seasons after winning four or five of their last six games.

The Red Wings are 32-65 following a division game the past three seasons.

Bruins:

Brad Marchand -- Patrice Bergeron -- Jake DeBrusk

Taylor Hall -- Erik Haula -- David Pastrnak

Trent Frederic -- Charlie Coyle -- Craig Smith

Nick Foligno -- Tomas Nosek -- Curtis Lazar

Hampus Lindholm -- Charlie McAvoy

Matt Grzelcyk -- Brandon Carlo

Josh Brown -- Mike Reilly

Jeremy Swayman

Red Wings:

Adam Erne -- Dylan Larkin -- Lucas Raymond

Jakub Vrana -- Pius Suter -- Michael Rasmussen

Oskar Sundqvist -- Joe Veleno -- Filip Zadina

Taro Hirose -- Kyle Criscuolo -- Sam Gagner

Danny DeKeyser -- Moritz Seider

Marc Staal -- Filip Hronek

Gustav Lindstrom -- Jake Walman

Alex Nedeljkovic

Points: David Pastrnak -- 71

Goals: David Pastrnak -- 38

Assists: Charlie McAvoy -- 41

Goalie: Jeremy Swayman -- 20-9-3, 2.23 GAA, .920 SV%

Points: Dylan Larkin -- 64

Goals: Dylan Larkin -- 29

Assists: Moritz Seider -- 39

Goalie: Alex Nedeljkovic -- 17-21-8, 3.31 GAA, .900 SV%