Bruins vs islanders prediction12/12/2023 ![]() ![]() He forced overtime in Game 4, scored the winning goal late in that one and then he scored a key early goal to help stabilize the Isles in game five. Barzal has scored in three straight games. Slowing down the Perfection Line is a huge piece of the puzzle in terms of beating the Bruins.Īfter a slow start to the playoffs, Mat Barzal has really gotten going for the Isles. With Trotz getting the last change on Wednesday, he’ll be able to get his choice of matchup. In fact, mid-way through Game 5, Trotz swapped Nelson and Pageau’s in his lineup and the difference was noticeable. However, on Long Island where Barry Trotz has the last change, Bergeron has seen a lot of Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who has fared much better. Bergeron has dominated the Isles’ second line center throughout the series. When in Boston, Cassidy has decided to match Bergeron’s line against Brock Nelson and his linemates. In the two games on Long Island, they’ve been held in check to the tune of a 36% xG rate. In the three games in Boston, they’ve played to a 70% expected goal (xG) rate. It’s been a tale of two different series for Boston’s “Perfection Line” featuring Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. With the series heading back to Long Island, it’s a good opportunity to examine some home/road splits in this series. Will the Bruins decide to go with a rookie netminder with their season on the line?ĭOWNLOAD NOW What To Look For on Long Island He also said he assumed Rask would be ready for Game 6 but did not outright commit to starting him if healthy. In a shocking move, Cassidy went with rookie goaltender Jeremy Swayman in the third period and put his veteran on the bench.Īfter the game, Cassidy admitted that Rask wasn’t nearly 100% and he needed some time for maintenance. While it was hard to blame Rask on any of the goals individually, it was obvious he wasn’t his usual sharp self. Tuukka Rask was beaten four times on 16 shots through two periods in Game 4. However, the intrigue comes in Boston’s crease. He’ll almost certainly be in net for the Isles after winning three of four games in this series. Semyon Varlamov was solid for the Isles, making 40 saves in the victory. This prompted Bruins’ coach Bruce Cassidy to go on a peculiar rant postgame where he went on to call the Isles the “New York Saints.” We’ll chalk it up to gamesmanship from a coach who might be looking for any advantage he can get as his team faces elimination.Īnother storyline coming out of Game 4 is the Islanders' goaltending situation. ![]() Mat Barzal, Kyle Palmieri and Jordan Eberle all scored power-play goals for the Isles, who went 3-for-4 on the man-advantage. One of the main reasons the Isles were able to escape Boston with a win was their power play. The Isles are willing to check and defend all night as long as they do a good job of limiting the quality of their opponent’s chances. However, despite Boston consistently playing in the Isles’ zone on Monday night, the Isles held the Bruins to just six high-danger chances at even strength. When the Bruins are on top of their game, there’s little doubt they’re one of the very best teams in this league. Boston’s 70.3% expected goal rate at 5-on-5 and 44-19 advantage in shots was reminiscent of its performance in Game 1 of this series. The Islanders' Game 5 win was hardly a banner performance. Will the Isles get the job done in front of their home crowd?Ĭlaim Offers Now How Did the Isles Win Game 5? ![]() This is the smallest underdog the Isles have been in this series. New York is an underdog for the sixth straight game, but it seems oddsmakers have started to give them respect. Now, the Isles head back to the raucous Nassau Coliseum with a chance to punch their ticket to the semifinals. Boston was clearly the better team in Games 1-5, but it was New York that managed to steal the most recent game on the road. Games 2-4 were dead even and suggested there wasn’t much between the teams. We’ve seen back-and-forth games with 5-4 scores and grinding games that went to overtime tied at 1. Through five games, we’ve seen a bit of everything. The pre-series line had the Bruins as -235 favorites to advance to the NHL’s version of the Final Four.ĭespite this, it’s the Islanders who have a 3-2 series lead as the series heads back to Long Island for Game 6. The New York Islanders entered their second-round series against the Boston Bruins as significant underdogs. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |