Lightning vs Bruins: Final Score, Highlights & What Tonight’s Shocking Finish Means for the NHL Playoff Race

Fans searching for “Lightning vs Bruins” will be treated to an early-season Atlantic Division showdown when the Tampa Bay Lightning (0-2-0) visit the undefeated Boston Bruins (3-0-0) at TD Garden on Monday, October 13 (1:00 p.m. ET, NHL Network). Below is everything you need to know—records, key match-ups, streaming options, betting odds, and lineup news—to follow the game and make informed predictions. Current form • Tampa Bay has stumbled out of the gate, surrendering 10 goals in its first two games and leaning heavily on Andrei Vasilevskiy, whose .855 save percentage is far below his career average. • Boston, meanwhile, looks like it never left off last year’s league-best regular season, limiting opponents to 1.67 goals per game behind a scorching .966 save percentage from Jeremy Swayman. Key players to watch • Nikita Kucherov vs. Charlie McAvoy: Kucherov leads Tampa with two goals but faces Boston’s top shutdown defender. • Brayden Point vs. Pavel Zacha: Point’s speed down the middle tests a Bruins center corps still adapting to life without Patrice Bergeron. • David Pastrňák: The Bruins sniper has three assists and has historically produced 1.17 points per game against Tampa Bay. • Elias Lindholm: Boston’s newest top-six fixture already has four points in three games and is winning 55 % of his faceoffs. Projected lines and injuries InsideTheRink reports Tampa will reunite Brandon Hagel–Point–Kucherov on the first line, while Boston is expected to skate Brad Marchand, Zacha, and Pastrňák up front. Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm (upper body) remains out; Lightning winger Nick Paul is on LTIR. Betting odds and prediction ESPN BET lists Tampa Bay as a slight road favorite (-165 ML) despite Boston’s perfect start, largely due to the Lightning’s star power and desperation to avoid an 0-3-0 beginning. The total sits at 6.5. Lean Bruins +1.5 on the puck line and the under, given Boston’s stingy team defense. How to watch / live stream • TV: NHL Network (national), Sportsnet (Canada) • Streaming: NHL Network app, ESPN+ out-of-market, authenticated cable apps • Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub (BOS), 970 WFLA (TBL) Stat nuggets • Tampa Bay’s power play is 33.3 % (2-for-6); Boston’s penalty kill is a perfect 100 %. • Boston leads the league in 5-on-5 shot differential (+28) through three games. • The Lightning have won six of their last nine visits to TD Garden. Bottom line The Bruins’ disciplined structure and home-ice advantage give them a slight edge, but a talented, urgent Lightning squad makes this “Lightning vs Bruins” matchup must-watch hockey. Expect playoff-level intensity, star performances, and a measuring-stick game that could foreshadow postseason storylines in the Atlantic Division.