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 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/underneath might arguably be thought-about the primary occasion in all {of professional} sports activities — nicely, at the least if you happen to’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 among the finest 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 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 wager the underneath. The opposite two matchups that includes these previous Northeast Division rivals solely had both one or neither of Swayman and Ullmark.

This rematch between the 2 will likely be their most essential 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 closing 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 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 ceaselessly good friend 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 consider his finest stretch of the season continues 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 perhaps not matching the same old 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 means of the season’s closing 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 strong season in keeping with what he produced throughout his total tenure as a Bruin. He in all probability gained’t disappoint both reverse one in all his finest pals.

Moreover, Boston shed practically half of its prime 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 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 overall of 5.5 for what’s an affordable worth.

Choose: Below 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 except in any other case acknowledged.

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