Boston Bruins vs. Ottawa Senators Betting Picks, Predictions March thirteenth

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 attempting 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 — nicely, a minimum of for those who’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 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 staff in a single season — and this closing 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 individuals who guess the below. The opposite two matchups that includes these outdated Northeast Division rivals solely had both one or neither of Swayman and Ullmark.

This rematch between the 2 shall be their most vital 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 closing 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 particular person left from their 2011 Stanley Cup championship staff, 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 pal Marchand in that one) for the reason that commerce deadline. Swayman began these video games and was terrific in each, nevertheless it’s his current candid phrases that may lead one to imagine his finest 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 needs to 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 guess 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 constantly carry out nearer to his customary by the season’s closing few weeks.

Ullmark, in the meantime, is continuous 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 consistent with what he produced throughout his whole tenure as a Bruin. He in all probability received’t disappoint both reverse one in every of his finest buddies.

Moreover, Boston shed almost half of its prime seven objective scorers, and contemplating that they’re already second from the underside within the East in targets per sport (2.71), that may’t bode nicely 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 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 guess graded as if it have been to win one unit until in any other case acknowledged.

Comply with me @MattZylbert on Twitter/X for potential further picks.