It’s a 2011 Stanley Cup rematch as the Vancouver Canucks host the Boston Bruins on Saturday night.
The pregame narrative: Jake DeBrusk’s tenure with Boston had its fair share of highs and lows. I expect the speedy forward to register a point against his old squad. Brad Marchand is taking it upon himself to lift Boston’s offence, and he’s a nice option to clear his shot total.
Check out our Canucks props vs. Bruins for the game on Dec. 14.
Canucks props vs. Bruins
Best Bet: DeBrusk to score 1+ points (-134)
DeBrusk earned a reputation for being a streaky performer with the Bruins.
The talented winger appears to be in the midst of a hot streak for his new squad. He has 13 points in his last 10 games, finding the score sheet in eight of those contests.
New head coach Rick Tocchet is putting the forward in positions to succeed. He has DeBrusk skating on the first line, alongside Elias Pettersson, and on the top power-play unit.
Boston’s reputation for being a defensively responsible team that wins with good goaltending has been challenged this season. It ranks 25th in team save percentage (.884) this campaign.
The Bruins also place an underwhelming 22nd in penalty kill success rate (77.1%).
DeBrusk will receive the right opportunities to strike against his ex-team on Saturday.
Key stat: DeBrusk scored a goal against Boston in his first meeting vs. the Bruins on Nov. 26.
Quick picks
Marchand over 2.5 shots (-118): Boston’s offence is sputtering and Marchand is taking it upon himself to produce.
The Bruins forward is shooting the puck more than usual recently. He has 13 shots in his last four outings, topping this total in each of those games.
The matchup isn’t a plus per se, as the Canucks are tied for 18th in shots against per game (28.4).
But Marchand is one of Boston’s go-to trigger man, and he’ll likely have plenty of opportunities to fire the puck on Saturday.
The Bruins forward is second on the team with 89 shots, averaging 2.87 per contest.
Picks made at 12:02 p.m. ET 12/14/2024.
Stevie’s an avid NFL, NHL, and tennis bettor who has no problem talking himself into the underdog. His previous stops include Yahoo! Sports Canada and Toronto Metropolitan University, where he received a degree in Sport Media.