Thursday night in the NHL features the Winnipeg Jets visiting the Boston Bruins at TD Garden in a tantalizing matchup. Welcome to NHL Predictions here at Last Word on Hockey, where we preview and predict the upcoming slate of NHL games around the league each day! In this article, we will preview and predict the matchup between the Jets and Bruins. Be sure to check out all of our NHL Predictions throughout the 2024-25 season and follow along with your favourite teams.
Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
TV: TSN3, NESN; ESPN+
Winnipeg and Boston will battle it out for the second and final time this season. In their first meeting, it was the Jets that laid a beat-down on the Bruins. Winnipeg scored five times in the third period and coasted away with an 8-1 victory. Mark Scheifele had two goals and an assist, Kyle Connor added a goal and an assist, and the Jets powerplay found the net three times. For the Bruins, it was a night to forget, as starting goaltender Jeremy Swayman was lit-up for eight goals on 35 shots against. As well, this game featured 66 penalty minutes combined by the teams.
The Jets opened their three game road trip in Monteal with a 4-1 victory on Tuesday evening. After the Canadiens opened the scoring, the Jets took control of the game and pulled away in the second period with a buzzer-beating goal from Kyle Connor. That was Connor’s second goal of the game, and 29th of the season. Scheifele also scored his 29th of the year in the game.
Winnipeg has outscored their opponents 17-7 over their four game win streak and have had four extremely impressive performances. When the team is playing this way, they look difficult to beat. They’ve had a balance of depth scoring and star-power domination. They’ve also had players like Rasmus Kupari elevate their play with captain Adam Lowry sidelined. It is promising for this team, given the lack of success in the playoffs the past few years, that they are exhibiting a plethora of ways in which they can win.
Despite finding themselves in the first wildcard position in the Eastern Conference, this Boston Bruins team has been underwhelming in 2024-25. Boasting an average 25-21-6 record this season, expectations were much higher when the season started. It seems nothing has been settled since the contract issues surrounding Swayman. A coach firing, a locker room rift rumour, and lack of production from offseason signings has this team wondering what their immediate future holds. Their inconsistency has been prominent all season, and was highlighted by their ugly 7-2 loss on Tuesday night in Buffalo.
The Jets will look to keep their winning streak alive in this game. After a disappointing road defeat, Boston will have a sense of urgency being back on home ice. A statistic that we have our eyes on entering this game is the Boston Bruins goal differential; though they are in a playoff spot, the team holds a minus-25 goal differential, second worst in the Eastern Conference. That points to the teams unpredictability and tendency to have throwaway-type performances. Though this game shouldn’t be that way, expect it to be a struggle for this Bruins team to solve the stout defensive posture of the Jets.
Prediction: Jets win 3-1
Josh Morrissey has been outstanding this season for the Jets. His play at both ends of the ice should garner him Norris Trophy consideration. Look for his efforts to be rewarded in Boston: gambling sites have Morrissey at long-shot odds as an anytime goal scorer (+600). Morrissey has a goal and an assist over his last three games versus the Bruins.
Main photo by: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
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