Will Rogers
The set-up: Yes Columbus somehow managed to dispatch the Lightning in four games in Round 1 and it comes in rested compared to Boston, which needed seven games to advance past the Leafs. But I think the extra time off will in fact be detrimental to the Blue Jackets’ momentum. Columbus was one of the best down the stretch of the regular season and that momentum got carried over vs. the Lightning, but I think it finally comes out flat here. The Bruins come in off an exhausting series, but they’ve done well against Columbus goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, as he’s just 3-8 with a 3.90 GAA lifetime vs. Boston. The Bruins were 31-14 at home and were led by Tuukka Rask, who is 15-8 with a 2.32 GAA in Boston and who is 9-6 with a 2.67 GAA lifetime vs. Columbus.
The pick: Take it for what you will as well, but Columbus is still only 18-38 in its last 56 as a road underdog in the +110 to +150 range, while Boston is 29-11 in its last 40 as a favorite in the -150 to -200 range. Consider the home side in Game 1.
1* FREE PLAY BRUINS