This year’s NHL Winter Classic unfolded at Boston’s Fenway Park, and the host Bruins defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins, 2-1, behind two goals from Jake DeBrusk, who found the back of the net twice in the third period and broke a 1-1 tie with 2:33 left in regulation. That gave him 16 goals on the season as the B’s moved to 4-1 as a franchise in NHL outdoor games. With a 29-4-4 lead, the Bruins also have the top record in the NHL this season. Linus Ullmark stopped 26 shots for Boston to get the win. The Penguins started the game with Tristan Jarry in net, but Casey DeSmith came on with 4:30 left in the opening period, as Jarry had to leave with a lower-body injury. Don’t miss our top NHL betting picks for Tuesday’s action.
NHL News: Top Betting Picks for the Week
Tuesday, January 3
Seattle Kraken (+1.5) at Edmonton Oilers (O/U 6.5) (9:00 pm ET)
The Kraken saw a three-game losing streak end on Sunday, as they took down the New York Islanders, 4-1, at home. Eeli Tolvanen, who came over from Nashville off the waiver wire on December 12, sank what would prove to be the game-winner, nailing home a one-timer on the power play near the start of the second period. Adam Larsson, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Brandon Tanev had the other Seattle goals, but the Kraken remain 4-7-1 in their last 12 overall. Martin Jones stopped 18 saves, pushing his record for the season to 15-5-3, although his 2.96 GAA and .888 save percentage are not where they need to be. The Kraken score 3.46 goals per game (sixth overall), but they permit 3.26. One reason for this is their penalty kill, which is second to last in the league (68.5%).
The Oil saw a two-game winning streak come to an end as they started a homestand with a 2-1 loss to Winnipeg on New Year’s Eve. Klim Kostin was the only one to light the lamp for Edmonton, tying the game at 1 just over four minutes into the third period, but they could not tie again despite a power play for the last 2:24 of regulation. Kailer Yamamoto tagged the crossbar with ten seconds remaining, but Edmonton could not tie. Connor McDavid saw his 17-game point streak come to an end. Jack Campbell made 15 saves, but his record (8-7-1), GAA (3.90) and save percentage (.876) are not NHL-quality numbers. He has beaten Seattle twice, posting a 3.00 GAA and an .891 save percentage in those wins. Much like the Kraken, the Oilers score a lot (3.58 goals per game, fourth overall) but they also allow a lot of goals (3.32, 10th overall). Edmonton to win, take the over.
N.Y. Islanders (+1.5) at Vancouver Canucks (O/U 6) (10:00 pm ET)
The Islanders come in on a three-game road skid, and they started their West Coast swing with that big loss at Seattle. Matthew Barzal was the only Islander to score, finding the back of the net near the end of the first period. However, Seattle was the team that brought the energy, outshooting the visitors, 35-19. Ilya Sorokin stopped 31 shots for the Islanders, giving him a 13-12-1 record with a .926 save percentage and a 2.30 GAA, all respectable numbers. Semyon Varlamov has come back from a lower-body injury and could get the start; he has an 8-3-1 mark with a .919 save percentage and a 2.65 GAA. The Isles are sixth in fewest goals permitted (2.68) and they score 3.16 (17th). Their penalty kill is tenth (81.6%).
Vancouver has dropped two in a row, losing at Winnipeg and Calgary, but they have a two-game home winning streak after beating Seattle, 6-5, and San Jose, 6-2. In their 4-2 loss at Winnipeg, Collin Delia stopped 35 shots, but the Canucks only mustered 22 shots on goal themselves. Spencer Martin (11-6-1, .886 save percentage, 3.55 GAA) is expected to start on Tuesday, and his numbers reflect the porous Winnipeg defense (3.81 goals permitted, 30th overall). They do score 3.39 goals per game (seventh), but their penalty kill is the league’s worst (67.9%). Islanders to cover.
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