The Boston Bruins are one of the most puzzling teams in the NHL. Through eight games, they hold a 6-2-0 record, thanks to some clutch scoring and one of the top goalies in the league in Jeremy Swayman. However, even on Friday night against the Anaheim Ducks, they found a way to win with Michael DiPietro in net, getting in an early 2-0 hole and digging out of it with three powerplay goals and a clutch goal on a connection with two of their youngsters, Matthew Poitras and James Hagens.
It could be the new youthful energy for the Bruins, who were historically a team that valued veterans and kept their young players developing elsewhere or not at all. This year there are veterans sitting in the AHL and in the press box for a new youthful group that includes seven players under 25, which is a stark contrast to the Los Angeles Kings, who are sticking with their old and slow technique.
The Bruins look like a good bet tonight against the Kings, especially after saving Swayman for this game, but the combination of it being the second game of a back-to-back and the analytics saying they haven’t deserved to win many of the six games they have emerged victorious in is a cause for concern.
Where we can find an edge in this game is with the total, as the Kings have been struggling mightily to score this season, which is going to give them a tough night against Swayman. On the other side, the Bruins struggled defensively on Friday night, and when that happens, head coach Marco Sturm usually reels them in the following game and plays more defensively. This has all the makings of a low-scoring game out West.
Bruins vs Kings prediction: Under 5.5 (+105) available at the time of publishing. Playable to this number.
