Written by North Shore Sports, Inc.

NHL Betting Online: Our Stanley Cup selections are ready to roll here at Bookmaker Sportsbook! Whether you’re planning to wager on the Tampa Bay Lightning or the Boston Bruins, this preview will guide you toward beating the NHL betting lines in Game 6.

Head Coach Guy Boucher is likely to face intense media scrutiny over the next 36 hours or so, as he faces a crucial decision heading into Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. He opted to bench Dwayne Roloson in favor of Mike Smith, who was making his first career start in the playoffs in Game 5, and as expected, the strategy did not yield the desired results.

That said, even though the Lightning fell short as +142 underdogs in Beantown, everyone knows this matchup could have swung the other way without Tim Thomas’s stellar performance. While his shutout in Game 3 was impressive, his single‑goal effort in Game 5 was perhaps even more remarkable, especially the stick save he made sprawling across the goal against Teddy Purcell’s shot that should have tied the game at 2‑2 in the third period.

Tampa Bay’s defense really stepped up in Game 5, and those who placed Stanley Cup picks on them should feel confident about that outcome. It’ll be tough to challenge the Lightning on their home ice if they repeat that 60‑minute performance, as they were clearly the more physical side and generated more scoring chances. In fact, for one of the first times in the playoffs, the Lightning owned the shots‑on‑goal tally, taking it 34‑20.

Even with their season still on the line, the Bolts remain -120 favorites and will headline our Stanley Cup picks on Wednesday night. Boston sits at +100, while the ‘total’ is set at 5.5 over +105. Tampa Bay has shown a gritty, tenacious brand of hockey this season, so don’t expect their run to end on home ice on Wednesday!