The Boston Bruins (19-5-6) will look to avoid losing a third straight game on Friday in a tough road outing against the Winnipeg Jets (19-9-4).
Bookmaker Pinnacle offers odds at -162 for the B’s to make a quick start and score in the first period, and the odds are at -149 for the Jets to score at least once in the opening frame.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: December 21st, 7:00 P.M. (EST)
Despite losing Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci over the summer, the Bruins have continued to perform at a high level, but the team has hit a bit of a wall lately. Boston closed out last week with a 2-1 overtime loss to the Rangers and suffered heartbreak in overtime again on Tuesday against Minnesota, losing 4-3 after blowing a 2-1 lead.
In total, there have been four defeats for the Bruins over the last six games, which will be a worry for the team. However, as only one of the losses has come in regulation, Jim Montgomery’s team has continued to fly high, holding a firm lead at the top of the Atlantic Division.
Following a 7-2-1 run, the Jets have taken over the top spot in the Central Division. The team recently took a major hit, with top scorer Kyle Connor getting knocked out of the lineup by a knee injury, but his absence hasn’t yet had a major impact on the team. Offseason addition Gabrial Vilardi has done a spectacular job as Connor’s replacement on the first line.
Vilardi has registered three multi-point outings across the last four games and made a bit of history in Wednesday’s 5-2 win over Detroit. Having scored in four consecutive games, Vilardi boasts the longest goal streak by any player in their first season with the Jets since the franchise moved to Winnipeg. Boston needs to find a way to cool him off to have a chance of getting back to winning ways on Friday.
Goaltending is also set to be essential in the match-up. Connor Hellebuyck has already been confirmed as the starter for Winnipeg, entering the contest with a 16-6-2 record. He’s won five of his six starts this month, allowing only 2.00 goals per game with a .931 save percentage.
Boston starts a back-to-back set on Friday and could elect to use either of its goalies. With the team having registered a 2.57 goals-against average for the season, both Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman are strong options in the crease. They have continued where they left off in 2023-24 when the Bruins duo won the William M. Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals in the regular season.
