Penguins Aren't Great But They Are Better Than The Bruins

Bruins vs. Penguins, 2:30 ET

We've reached the finish line, or at least very close to it. So close that you might be able to lean forward and rip through the tape. I don't know that experience as I've never won a race in my life. I don't really understand the point of running if you aren't doing it as part of a game. Personally, that "runner's high" that people talk about eludes me. Maybe I'm not going fast enough. In any case, no one is running in this game, we are just skating here as the Bruins take on the Penguins.

What a wild ride it has been for Boston. They were the best team in the world a couple of years ago and then lost in the opening round. Last year they were still good, but couldn't make any real progress. This year, they are on the outside looking into the playoffs. The team has struggled to a 32-39-9 record for the year, and they are very bad on the road. How bad? 12-25-3 on the road. That means they are 20-14-6 at home, which isn't great, but probably could have them find a way into the playoff picture at least. They are at the bottom of the Atlantic Division and will likely end their season there. They struggle both on offense and severely on defense. For the season, they are only scoring 2.68 goals per game, and allowing 3.31 goals against per game. They don't take that many fewer shots than their opponent, but something clearly isn't clicking for the Bruins. In this game, they are likely to have Jeremy Swayman in the pipes. He has been disappointing this season with a 22-29-6 record and a 3.08 goals against average. His save percentage is also under .900, so he is certainly struggling for Boston.

Nov 3, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) skates on the ice before the second period against the Seattle Kraken at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The Penguins are my favorite hockey team. It probably seems stupid, but I was never huge into hockey but growing up penguins were my favorite animal and I always wanted to trade my friend basketball cards for Penguin player hockey cards. Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr were guys that paved the way until Sidney Crosby came into the league. I can't imagine any of the three of those names are thrilled with how the team performed this season. They are just 33-35-12 for the year, but they are better at home with a 20-14-5 record. I guess you can kind of lump them into the mix with the Bruins in that regard. Also like the Bruins, they are allowing way too many goals. They are allowing 3.53 goals and scoring just 2.94 per game. I suppose if they had any type of defense they might be successful this year. It looks like Tristan Jarry will mind the net for the Penguins. He is 15-11-6 for the season with a 3.16 goals against per game average and a .891 save percentage.

We have two bad teams, both out of playoff contention, so what exactly is there to play for? Well, people like you and me want to bet on something, and this seems like as good of an option as any other. So, we are betting on the Penguins to win this game. Them being at home makes me think they have the edge. Neither goalie is particularly great, so I also imagine this one should get over the total, but for me, I'll just take the Penguins. And, hey, it's been a good season, let's play it on the Puck Line. 

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