Let's Grab A Total As Boston Rematches With Detroit

Boston vs. Detroit, 7:00 ET

The only thing that has been tougher on me than the NFL the last few weeks is the NHL. I've been so cold, they probably could just roll me onto the ice and I could freeze everything for them. I've mentioned this before, I won't just roll over and die, though. I am a fighter, and the only way to get over a slump is to keep grinding through it. With that being said, I wouldn't blame you for fading me, or just not riding with me as I play this game between the Bruins and the Red Wings.

A few years ago, the Bruins were the cream of the crop, but the team seems like they are trying to get back to the top of the mountain. They didn't really ever do anything with the success they had, as they were eliminated in the first round. Then last year, they traded away their best player in what was a bit of a surprise move. This season, the Bruins are 15-12-0 for the season, and they are just 6-7-0 on the road. For the years, the Bruins are averaging three goals per game, and they are allowing 3.19 goals. I am not sure that it ever is a good sign for the long term that the team allows more goals on average, but for the short term, it doesn't seem to have mattered much for the Bruins. Perhaps they should be thankful that they have only allowed .19 more goals on average for the season, as they are allowing almost four more shots per game than their team is creating. 

Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

The Red Wings are not having that much better of a campaign than Boston. They are 13-11-2 for the year, and they are just 8-6-1 at home, so not exactly an impressive number. Detroit has the makings of a team that could be competitive, but I'm not confident that they will make it there this year. They are in a rough form at the moment, having dropped four of their past five games. The offense has been rather consistent in that stretch, averaging three goals per game in each of the last five contests. For the season, the team has scored 2.88 goals per game, but they are allowing 3.39 goals. Interestingly enough, they are actually taking four more shots per game than their opponent, so I'm not sure if the issue stems from them taking worse shots, or what exactly the issue is. Overall, I think there is good potential on this team, and if they can start getting a bit of luck in the game, they should be able to find the back of the net a few more times.

The two teams just played a couple of days ago and now play in a home-and-home, back-to-back. The first game saw the Bruins escape with a 3-2 shootout victory over the Red Wings. I'm not going to tell you that I think this game is a winner once again for Boston. I actually expect the Bruins to lose, but I'm not betting that. I think this is a game that sees some goals. The teams will be familiar with each other, and even if they both start different goalies than the first game, I think we see them both aggressive on offense. I'll back the over 5.5 and hope we can get out of this slump in the NHL. 

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