The NHL officially went on holiday break after Friday’s games and the Boston Bruins continued their winning ways with a 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils in a highly anticipated game.
New Jersey (22-10-2) was 19-4-0 after November and had betting odds as high as +750 to win the Stanley Cup. But they have lost seven of eight since December 9 and dropped to +1200 and behind the Carolina Hurricanes (+1000) for first place in the Metropolitan Division.
However, it was an opportunity for the Bruins to play a top team in the Eastern Conference on the road. One that head coach Jim Montgomery likely had circled on the schedule for a couple of weeks.
“New Jersey and us since the first 20 games have been neck and neck,” Montgomery said. “One team was 18-2 and the other was 17-3. This was a game we were looking forward to playing.”
Boston (27-4-2) scored four goals in the second period, including two from David Pastrnak, to take a 4-1 lead into the third. Pastrnak (+2000 to win Hart Trophy) said it was important for Boston to close strong before the holiday break regardless of the opponent.
“We were focused on ourselves,” Pastrnak said. “Obviously they’re playing good hockey. They are winning. They have a lot of skill up front and are playing really fast. It was mentioned, but at the same time we were focusing on our game to finish on the right not before Christmas break.”
The Bruins remain the favorite to win the Cup at +550 as the season inches to the midway point. Even in the loss, the Devils are in the group of Eastern Conference teams that have separated themselves as contenders from the pack. That group includes the Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs (+900), Tampa Bay Lightning (+1200) and New York Rangers (+1500).
New Jersey rallied in the third period to score twice, but Linus Ullmark finished with 37 saves to secure the win. Ullmark is currently +700 to win the Vezina Trophy, placing him as the fourth-highest betting favorite. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Ullmark’s odds shifted during January and he became the betting favorite.
Forward Jake DeBrusk said that Ullmark is finally starting to get credit for his stellar play.
“He’s really taken a step forward this year, he’s really bringing in,” DeBrusk said of Ullmark. “We’ve needed it. It’s one of those things where he seems to be in the right place at the right time and he brings a calm presence back there.”