Boston Bruins at Minnesota Wild

By Sam Batz

The Minnesota Wild host the league leading Boston Bruins on Saturday, March 18th (2 PM EST, NHLPP/ESPN+). It’s the second and final matchup of the season between Boston and Minnesota, whose first matchup, all the way back in October, ended 4-3 in favor of Boston. The Bruins are on their way to an historic season with the potential to break the Montreal Canadiens 1976-77 132 point record. Minnesota won’t break any records this year, but they’ll be happy with the season they’ve put together. Both sides are highly likely to make the playoffs, but per usual, the Boston Bruins are favored, at -165, while the Wild are priced at +140. 

Boston Bruins Breakdown (-165)

The Bruins have been a dominating force all season. They are 51-11-5 with 107 points through 67 games, and are the only team to have mathematically clinched a spot in the playoffs. Boston was the first to break the 100-point threshold and are the only team with 50+ wins thus far. The Bruins have the best goal differential (+104), the fewest goals against (145), and the highest point percentage (79.9%) in the league. They went 7-3-0 in their last 10, beating the Winnipeg Jets 3-0 on Thursday, snapping a two game losing streak, and setting themselves up nicely for their date with Minnesota on Saturday. 

Minnesota Wild Breakdown (+140)

The Minnesota Wild are 39-21-8 with 86 points through 68 games. They are 2nd in the Central Division and 4th in the Western Conference (4-points out of 1st). The Wild have turned up the tempo this month, posting a 5-0-2 record in March, and have won 7 of their last 10 games (7-0-3). Minnesota is coming off an emphatic 8-5 win over the St. Louis Blues, capping off a 4 game road trip where the Wild went 3-1 and averaged 5.25 goals per game. Now Minnesota is back home where they win 61.8% of the time, but face arguably the best team the NHL has seen in years. 

Bruins vs. Wild Odds

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Bruins vs. Wild: Season Stats

Bruins vs. Wild: Betting Trends

Bruins vs. Wild: Key Players

Boston Bruins – David Pastrnak (Right Wing): The Bruins are an extremely well-rounded team, but Pastrnak has separated himself as the Bruins best player. He leads Boston with 90 points (46 goals, 44 assists), which is the 5th-most points and 2nd-most goals in the league. Pastrnak posted 1 goal and 1 assist the last time Boston played Minnesota, and in his last 10 games, averaged 1.10 points per game (4 goals, 7 assists). Pastrnak is a talented player and I predict he will record 2 points against the Wild on Saturday.

Minnesota Wild –  Mats Zuccarello (Right Wing): The 35-year old veteran out of Norway is having an excellent season passing the puck. He is second on the team with 63 points (22 goals, 41 assists), leading the Wild with the most assists. He recorded 2 assists against Boston in their previous matchup and averaged 0.7 points per game in his last 10 (2 goals, 5 assists). The puck flows through Zuccarello, and with his incredible playmaking abilities, I predict he will post at least 1 assist against the Bruins on Saturday. 

Bruins vs. Wild Prediction

Go with Boston (-165) to win the game. The Wild made it interesting the last time they played by forcing the game into overtime, but that was early in the season, and since then Boston has evolved into an unstoppable force. Minnesota is great at home, and against any other opponent they would have the edge, but the Bruins have won 70.6% (24-8-2) of their games on the road, the second-best away record in the league. I expect the Wild to play Boston tough, but Minnesota doesn’t have the offensive firepower needed to overcome the best goaltending in the league. Boston will collect two more points and move closer to breaking the all-time single season points record. 

Prediction: Boston Bruins (-165) Moneyline and the Under; Final Score: 3-2

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