The second week again at Deadspin panned out a lot nicer than the primary. Nonetheless, there are nonetheless a number of extra unfastened ends to tie up in making an attempt to safe successful hockey and basketball seasons earlier than it’s on to baseball.
Tonight’s over/below might arguably be thought-about the primary occasion in all {of professional} sports activities — effectively, at the least in case you’re a Boston Bruins fan.
That’s as a result of it should contain a showdown between former teammates who occur to share the excellence of being one of many NHL’s high goalie duos in current historical past. In addition they created among the finest signature tandem celebrations, too.
Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark made magic whereas they had been goaltenders “1A” and “1B” in Boston — even serving to the group set a league document for many factors by one group in a single season — and this last 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 street victory for Ottawa that additionally produced a triumph for many who wager the below. The opposite two matchups that includes these outdated Northeast Division rivals solely had both one or neither of Swayman and Ullmark.
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This rematch between the 2 will probably be their most vital head-to-head tilt so far 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 last slot — however with three different Japanese Convention groups forward of them.
Boston additionally simply underwent a major fireplace sale that noticed them lose longtime franchise stalwart Brad Marchand — the final individual left from their 2011 Stanley Cup championship group, by the best way — 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 pal Marchand in that one) for the reason that commerce deadline. Swayman began these video games and was terrific in each, however it’s his current candid phrases that may lead one to consider his finest stretch of the season remains to be to return.
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, however it must be as much as us which were 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 sturdy play regardless of perhaps not matching the standard lofty expectations he’s set for himself since arriving within the NHL 4 years in the past. I’d belief him to constantly carry out nearer to his commonplace by way of the season’s last few weeks.
Ullmark, in the meantime, is continuous 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 stable season in keeping with what he produced throughout his total tenure as a Bruin. He in all probability received’t disappoint both reverse one in all his finest buddies.
Moreover, Boston shed practically half of its high seven objective scorers, and contemplating that they’re already second from the underside within the East in targets per recreation (2.71), that may’t bode effectively for the offense within the quick time period. We’ll simply be targeted on the offense persevering with its slog in Ottawa.
I’m opting to tack on a half-goal to the whole of 5.5 for what’s an inexpensive worth.
Choose: Below 6 (-155, BetMGM)
NHL betting document: 34-27-3, +0.8 unit
Over/Unders: 20-21-3
Goalie props: 14-6
Every wager graded as if it had been to win one unit except in any other case acknowledged.
Observe me @MattZylbert on Twitter/X for potential further picks.
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