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 of the primary occasion in all {of professional} sports activities — effectively, no less than if you happen to’re a Boston Bruins fan.
That’s as a result of it’ll 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. Additionally they created the most effective 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 file for many factors by one workforce 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 shall be their most vital head-to-head tilt thus 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 remaining slot — however with three different Japanese Convention groups forward of them.
Boston additionally simply underwent a big fireplace sale that noticed them lose longtime franchise stalwart Brad Marchand — the final individual left from their 2011 Stanley Cup championship workforce, 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 eternally 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 continues to be to return.
Swayman informed 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 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 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’d belief him to persistently carry out nearer to his customary by means of the season’s remaining 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 whole tenure as a Bruin. He most likely received’t disappoint both reverse certainly one of his greatest buddies.
Moreover, Boston shed practically half of its high seven purpose 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 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 affordable worth.
Choose: Underneath 6 (-155, BetMGM)
NHL betting file: 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 said.
Comply with me @MattZylbert on Twitter/X for potential extra picks.
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