Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA – Photo by Icon sport
Bruins vs Blue Jackets: Can Boston get back on top of the Conference?
The winners of the last three games, Boston Bruins, are going to Ohio to face the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight at Nationwide Arena. The Bruins may get back on top of the Eastern Conference with a winter night.
Boston is on a winning streak
The Boston Bruins are second in the Eastern Conference with a 22-7-6 record. They have split those victories equally between home and away games and are currently on a three-game winning streak. The Bruins are going into this game after a 5-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings on the road. Boston is ranked fifth in the league, allowing 2.6 goals per game, and is the best team in the NHL when it comes to save percentage with 92.1%. David Pastrnak has already reached the 50-point milestone in the first 35 games of the season and is currently ranked third in the league.
Is there hope for the Blue Jackets?
The Columbus Blue Jackets are 15th in the Eastern Conference with a 12-18-8 record. They have lost four of the last five games and are going into this one after a 3-2 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Interestingly, four of the last five Blue Jackets games have gone to overtime. Columbus is ranked 30th in the league, allowing 3.66 goals per game. Offensively, they score 3.13 goals per game, which ranks them 16th in the league. Johnny Gaudreau and Zach Werenski lead the team with 25 points each.
Betting Trends
Boston is 7-1 SU in the last 8 games against Columbus. They are 4-1 SU in the last five games against Eastern Conference opponents and 12-4 in the last 16 against Metropolitan division opponents. Columbus is 1-4 SU in the last five games and 3-8 SU in the last 11 games against Eastern Conference opponents.
Player to watch
Bruins center Charlie Coyle scored a goal in the last game against the Red Wings, spending more than 19 minutes on the ice. In the previous two games, he had two assists against the Devils and two goals against the Sabres.
Injury Reports
Milan Lucic and Derek Forbort are out for the Bruins while the Blue Jackets cannot count on Nick Blankenburg, Zach Werenski, Patrik Laine, Sean Kuraly and Adam Boqvist.
Prediction and Conclusion
After losing four straight games in late December, the Bruins woke up and are currently on a three-game winning streak. They scored a total of 14 goals in that span and the Blue Jackets are about to have another tough night. Columbus is among the bottom five teams in the league and has won only once in the last eight games against the Bruins. Boston will be aggressive from the very start of the game and will win this one easily.
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