The second week again at Deadspin panned out a lot nicer than the primary. Nonetheless, there are nonetheless just a few extra free ends to tie up in making an attempt to safe profitable hockey and basketball seasons earlier than it’s on to baseball.
Tonight’s over/below may arguably be thought-about the primary occasion in all {of professional} sports activities — properly, no less than should you’re a Boston Bruins fan.
That’s as a result of it is going to contain a showdown between former teammates who occur to share the excellence of being one of many NHL’s prime goalie duos in current historical past. In addition they created top-of-the-line signature tandem celebrations, too.
Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark made magic whereas they have been goaltenders “1A” and “1B” in Boston — even serving to the group set a league report for many factors by one group in a single season — and this remaining matchup of the marketing campaign between the Bruins and Senators will see them meet for a second time.
The primary assembly that noticed the pair of netminders lock horns occurred again on Nov. 9, a 3-2 highway victory for Ottawa that additionally produced a triumph for many who wager the below. The opposite two matchups that includes these previous Northeast Division rivals solely had both one or neither of Swayman and Ullmark.
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This rematch between the 2 will likely be their most necessary head-to-head tilt up to now given every membership’s present positioning within the postseason image. The Senators are within the first wild-card playoff spot proper now by a handful of factors, whereas the Bruins sit two factors out of the second and remaining slot — however with three different Jap Convention groups forward of them.
Boston additionally simply underwent a big fireplace sale that noticed them lose longtime franchise stalwart Brad Marchand — the final particular person left from their 2011 Stanley Cup championship group, by the way in which — along with Brandon Carlo, Charlie Coyle and others.
Even regardless of these impactful subtractions, the Bruins have performed impressed as of late, notching consecutive wins towards the Lightning and Panthers (towards endlessly buddy Marchand in that one) because the commerce deadline. Swayman began these video games and was terrific in each, nevertheless it’s his current candid phrases that may lead one to consider his greatest stretch of the season remains to be to come back.
Swayman advised ESPN’s Emily Kaplan after his shutout versus Tampa: “We will miss these guys a lot. They led the groundwork, Emily, and it is by no means going to be the identical with out them, nevertheless it must be as much as us which have been there with them to proceed their legacy and perceive that next-man-up mentality and make them proud.”
With a mindset like that, Swayman is an efficient wager to proceed his current robust play regardless of possibly not matching the standard lofty expectations he’s set for himself since arriving within the NHL 4 years in the past. I might belief him to constantly carry out nearer to his commonplace by the season’s remaining few weeks.
Ullmark, in the meantime, is constant his efficient work in his inaugural marketing campaign as a Senator. He may not be inching towards one other Vezina Trophy like he did two years in the past, however he’s nonetheless having one other strong season in keeping with what he produced throughout his whole tenure as a Bruin. He in all probability received’t disappoint both reverse considered one of his greatest associates.
Moreover, Boston shed almost half of its prime seven aim scorers, and contemplating that they’re already second from the underside within the East in targets per recreation (2.71), that may’t bode properly for the offense within the quick time period. We’ll simply be centered on the offense persevering with its slog in Ottawa.
I’m opting to tack on a half-goal to the full of 5.5 for what’s an inexpensive worth.
Decide: Underneath 6 (-155, BetMGM)
NHL betting report: 34-27-3, +0.8 unit
Over/Unders: 20-21-3
Goalie props: 14-6
Every wager graded as if it have been to win one unit until in any other case acknowledged.
Observe me @MattZylbert on Twitter/X for potential further picks.
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