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Boston (32-20-4) at Florida (28-24-3)
- When: Feb 4 2026, 7:00 PM
- Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, FL, USA
- TV: TNT
Boston vs Florida NHL Preview & Pick
Moneyline: Florida -135
Spread: Florida -1.5 (+185)
Total: 6.5
Panthers vs Bruins Preview That Feels Slightly Dramatic
The Florida Panthers are staring at the standings the way most of us stare at a credit card bill after vacation. Slowly. Nervously. With deep regret. Matthew Tkachuk summed it up perfectly after the latest loss, basically admitting the situation is not ideal. When a guy who scored 48 goals in each of the previous two seasons starts sounding like your worried accountant, you know things are serious.
Florida has dropped four straight games and is chasing Boston by nine points for the final Eastern Conference wild card spot. Urgency is no longer knocking politely. Urgency has kicked the door in and is yelling from the kitchen. The Panthers still fired 42 shots in their recent loss, which proves effort is there even if results are currently hiding somewhere far away.
Injuries have also joined the party, and not the fun kind. Sam Bennett exited early with an upper body issue, while Aleksander Barkov, Anton Lundell, Brad Marchand, Seth Jones, and Dmitry Kulikov have all spent time unavailable. The good news is some skated in practice, which in hockey terms is basically the equivalent of seeing sunlight after winter.
Tkachuk insists Florida must simplify and win low scoring games like 2 to 1 instead of trying to outskill everyone. That is the hockey version of deciding to eat salad after three straight weeks of pizza.
Bruins Rolling In With Chaos Energy
Boston arrives after blowing a 5 to 1 lead in a wild outdoor shootout loss that probably aged the coaching staff five years. Still, the Bruins have been strong overall. Jeremy Swayman owns a 22 and 12 and 3 record with a 2.92 goals against average, a major improvement from last season. Joonas Korpisalo provides steady backup support, giving Boston one of the calmer goalie situations in a league that rarely feels calm.
David Pastrnak continues producing like a machine with 48 assists and 70 points, chasing a fourth straight 100 point season. Morgan Geekie leads the team with 32 goals, while Charlie McAvoy is stacking assists and riding a six game point streak. In short, Boston has offense, defense, and momentum, which is a very rude combination for opponents.
Prediction Time Because That Is Why We Are Here
Florida being a small moneyline favorite feels like belief in desperation and home ice mixed together. Boston being hot feels like reality. Expect tension, blocked shots, and at least one coach dramatically staring into the distance.
Yes, the upset. Hide your shocked faces.
Score Prediction: Bruins 4, Panthers 2
Pick: Boston ML (+115)
Total: Under 6.5 (-122)
- NHL Odds source: Bovada Sportsbook
