Mar 11, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei (6) celebrates his sport tying purpose in opposition to the Florida Panthers with heart Jakub Lauko (94) through the third interval at TD Backyard. Obligatory Credit score: Winslow Townson-Imagn Photographs The second week again at Deadspin panned out a lot nicer than the primary. Nonetheless, there are nonetheless just a few 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/underneath may arguably be thought-about the primary occasion in all {of professional} sports activities — properly, no less than when you’re a Boston Bruins fan.
That’s as a result of it’s 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 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 report for many factors by one workforce in a single season — and this ultimate 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 guess the underneath. The opposite two matchups that includes these outdated Northeast Division rivals solely had both one or neither of Swayman and Ullmark.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 shall be their most essential head-to-head tilt to this point 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 ultimate 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 in opposition to the Lightning and Panthers (in opposition to perpetually pal Marchand in that one) for the reason that commerce deadline. Swayman began these video games and was terrific in each, but it surely’s his current candid phrases that may lead one to consider his greatest stretch of the season remains to be to come back.
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, but it surely 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 effective guess to proceed his current sturdy 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 persistently carry out nearer to his normal by way of the season’s ultimate few weeks.
Ullmark, in the meantime, is constant his efficient work in his inaugural marketing campaign as a Senator. He won’t 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 one among his greatest pals.
Moreover, Boston shed almost half of its prime seven purpose scorers, and contemplating that they’re already second from the underside within the East in targets per sport (2.71), that may’t bode properly for the offense within the brief 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 whole of 5.5 for what’s an inexpensive worth.
Decide: Below 6 (-155, BetMGM)
NHL betting report: 34-27-3, +0.8 unit
Over/Unders: 20-21-3
Goalie props: 14-6
Every guess graded as if it have been to win one unit except in any other case said.
Comply with me @MattZylbert on Twitter/X for potential extra picks.
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