Bruins vs. Penguins: Our Expert NHL Picks for Nov 5

The Boston Bruins visit the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday, November 5, 2026.

Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM EST.

The Bruins enter the game with an 11-4-1 record and 23 points in the 2026-27 season.

The Penguins sit at 5-8-2 with 12 points.

Boston has won two straight games.

Their most recent win was a 3-2 shootout victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday.

David Pastrnak scored the lone shootout goal to give the Bruins the extra point.

Jeremy Swayman stopped 21 of the 23 shots he faced in that win.

The Bruins are 3-2-0 in their last five games.

During that stretch, they are averaging 3.2 goals per game while allowing 3.2 goals per game.

Morgan Geekie has a goal in back-to-back games.

James Hagens is on a three-game point streak with five points in the last five games, including three goals and two assists.

The Penguins have dropped three straight games.

Their most recent loss was a 3-2 defeat to the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night.

Arturs Silovs stopped 20 of the 23 shots he faced in that game.

Tommy Novak and Rickard Rakell scored the goals for Pittsburgh.

During their current skid, the Penguins are averaging three goals per game while allowing four goals per game.

They have dropped seven of their last nine games.

They are 3-6-1 in their last ten games.

The Penguins have just two regulation wins all season.

Trade rumors are already percolating around the team.

Boston's projected lines for tonight include a top line of JJ Peterka, Pavel Zacha, and David Pastrnak.

The second line features Marat Khusnutdinov, Fraser Minten, and Morgan Geekie.

The third line is Casey Mittelstadt, Elias Lindholm, and James Hagens.

The fourth line is Tanner Jeannot, Sean Kuraly, and Mark Kastelic.

On defense, the Bruins' top pair is Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy.

The second pair is Nikita Zadorov and Will Borgen.

The third pair is Frederic Brunet and Mason Lohrei.

Jeremy Swayman is expected to start in goal for Boston.

Michael DiPietro is the backup goaltender.

Pittsburgh's projected lines include a top line of Tommy Novak, Sidney Crosby, and Rickard Rakell.

The second line is Egor Chinakhov, Ben Kindel, and Evgeni Malkin.

The third line is Ville Koivunen, Hendrix Lapierre, and Justin Brazeau.

The fourth line is Connor Dewar, Blake Lizotte, and Nick Robertson.

On defense, the Penguins' top pair is Sam Girard and Erik Karlsson.

The second pair is Spencer Stastney and Kaedan Korczak.

The third pair is Declan Carlile and Kris Letang.

Arturs Silovs is expected to start in goal for Pittsburgh.

Boston's power play operates at 20.0%, ranking 19th in the NHL.

Boston's penalty kill runs at 76.4%, ranking 18th.

Pittsburgh's power play operates at 18.2%, ranking 22nd.

Pittsburgh's penalty kill runs at 82.1%, ranking 11th.

The Bruins' first power-play unit features Morgan Geekie, Elias Lindholm, Pavel Zacha, David Pastrnak, and Charlie McAvoy.

The second power-play unit features James Hagens, Fraser Minten, Casey Mittelstadt, Mason Lohrei, and JJ Peterka.

The penalty-kill first unit for Boston features Fraser Minten, Marat Khusnutdinov, Nikita Zadorov, and Will Borgen.

The penalty-kill second unit features Pavel Zacha, Mark Kastelic, Hampus Lindholm, and Charlie McAvoy.

The Penguins have points in 11 of their last 17 home games against Boston, going 10-6-1 in that stretch dating back to December 14, 2016.

The game can be watched on SportsNet Pittsburgh for local viewers.

National broadcasts are available on SN, TVAS, and SN-PIT.

In Boston, the game airs on NESN.

Radio coverage in Pittsburgh is on 105.9 The X.

Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.

The Penguins' recent struggles have included costly defensive mistakes.

In Tuesday's loss, pinching defensemen Kris Letang and Declan Carlile were burned for a tying breakaway goal in the middle of the third period.

A botched penalty-kill coverage by Carlile in the final seconds spotted Tomas Hertl the game-winner with 33 seconds remaining.

One positive for the Penguins has been the play of goalie Arturs Silovs, who has been much better than his statistics suggest.

He stopped 20 of 23 shots in Tuesday's loss.

Boston's last game saw rookie James Hagens score in the first period.

Morgan Geekie upped Boston's lead to 2-0 with a power-play goal early in the second period.

Vegas tied the game with goals from Mark Stone and Trevor Connelly.

Jeremy Swayman made 21 saves in that game.

David Pastrnak scored the deciding goal in the shootout.

The game at PPG Paints Arena is the first of the season between these two teams.

The Penguins are looking to snap a three-game losing streak.

The Bruins are looking to extend their winning streak to three games.

Both teams are coming off games against the same opponent, the Vegas Golden Knights, with opposite results.

The Bruins won their game against Vegas.

The Penguins lost their game against Vegas.

This game features two of the NHL's most recognizable stars: Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for Pittsburgh, and David Pastrnak for Boston.

Crosby centers the top line for the Penguins.

Malkin centers the second line.

Pastrnak is on Boston's top line and first power-play unit.

The Penguins' defensive pairings have been a topic of discussion, with veteran Kris Letang playing on the third pair alongside Declan Carlile.

Sam Girard is paired with Erik Karlsson on the top pair.

Spencer Stastney is paired with Kaedan Korczak on the second pair.

The Bruins' defensive corps is anchored by Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy on the top pair.

Nikita Zadorov and Will Borgen form the second pair.

Frederic Brunet and Mason Lohrei form the third pair.

The goaltending matchup features Jeremy Swayman for Boston and Arturs Silovs for Pittsburgh.

Swayman has a 2-0-0 record in his last two starts.

Silovs is looking for his first win since October 27.

The Penguins' record of 5-8-2 puts them near the bottom of the Metropolitan Division.

The Bruins' record of 11-4-1 puts them near the top of the Atlantic Division.