The Boston Bruins will look for just their second win in their past seven outings when they kick off a five-game road trip on Friday with a visit to New Jersey, taking on the Devils as slim -115 betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
It was a less than happy holiday for the Bruins, who have dropped five of their last six games, getting outscored by a combined 19-7 in those losses.
After briefly flirting with first place in the Atlantic Division, Boston now enters Friday night’s Bruins vs. Devils betting matchup at the Prudential Center with 44 points, which has dropped them into the Eastern Conference’s wild-card race with the Devils.
Meanwhile, the Devils hit the ice Friday looking to end a two-game slide following Wednesday night’s 2-1 loss against the Montreal Canadiens.
New Jersey has been far from an offensive powerhouse, sitting 25th in the NHL in goals scored this season, potting just 17 total goals over its past 10 games, and just one total marker during its current losing streak.
Compounding matters is the loss of forward Mike Cammalleri, who was placed on injured reserve Thursday with an upper-body injury. The 33-year-old leads the Devils in scoring this season with 35 points, and joins forwards Patrik Elias and Jacob Josefson on the IR.
However, the Devils have received outstanding goaltending from Cory Schneider, who has allowed just five total goals over his past four starts, and sits among the league leaders with a sparkling 2.06 goals-against average.
Friday’s clash marks the second meeting of the season between these two clubs. Boston picked up a 2-1 home win over the Devils on Dec. 20, the final victory in a torrid 11-4 run that lifted the Bruins back into the playoff hunt.
The Bruins have won four straight against the Devils, holding New Jersey to just five total goals, and are an impressive 5-1 in their last six visits to Newark, according to the OddsShark NHL Database.
The Bruins then travel to Ottawa on Saturday for a date with the Senators, before heading to Madison Square Garden on Monday to face the New York Rangers.
Boston split a home-and-home series with the Senators over the holidays, dropping a 3-1 decision in Ottawa on Dec. 27, and has recorded just one win in its last five visits to the Canadian capital. However, it has taken seven of eight from the Rangers, including two of its last three at Madison Square Garden.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
