Exhaling longingly at the impending clash between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Boston Bruins. I might not be Nostradamus in disguise, but I fancy myself in predicting this one. Let's stretch the old grey cells a bit here.
On the goalie front, Elvis Merzlikins has been playing like his namesake with some heart-stopping saves for Columbus, boasting a save percentage of 90.9% over the last month. His teammate, Daniil Tarasov hasn't been too shabby either. Tailoring their game for Boston are Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo, who showed off an impressive 92.6% save percentage in the last month.
Kirill 'The Thriller' Marchenko and Zach Werenski are leading the charge for Columbus. Marchenko's got 5 goals and 7 assists, while Werenski chipped in with 2 goals and 9 assists last month. Not to forget Sean Monahan who managed 4 goals and 5 assists. Meanwhile, the Bruins have been leaning heavily on David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. Pastrnak had 4 goals and 8 assists, while Marchand delivered 5 goals and 5 assists last month.
Looking at earlier encounters, the Bruins seems to have had the upper hand in recent history when facing off against the Blue Jackets which tickled their ego quite a bit. I mean, let's be real, everyone loves a winning streak, right?
But before you go placing bets, hold your horses and let's check their recent performances. Columbus seems to be struggling a bit lately with a record of 6 wins, 2 ties, and 9 losses, while the Bruins are slightly ahead with 8-3-8. Let's not forget the Jackets' recent stumble against Montreal where they were steamrolled 5-1. The Bruins, on the other hand, put up a decent fight albeit losing 3-2 to St. Louis.
So, if you ask me, my money (metaphorical of course, no actual money being wagered here) would be on the Bruins. Provided the boys in yellow and black can put up a strong front, they should come through a goal to the good.
Albert’s Prediction: Boston Bruins by 1