Free NHL Picks Today: New Jersey Devils vs Boston Bruins 12/23/22

The Boston Bruins (-115) and their explosive offense head to take on the New Jersey Devils (-105) and their suffocating defense at Prudential Center on Friday. The total is 6.5 (O: -105, U: -115)Boston (26-4-2) is playing the second of a back-to-back after earning a 3-2 win over the Jets yesterday, their third win in a row.

The Bruins committed only two penalties in the game, holding Winnipeg without a power play goal. David Pastrnak, Nick Foligno, and Jake DeBrusk each scored once for the Bruins. Pastrnak and Foligno both added an assist to lead the team in scoring.

Jeremy Swayman saved an impressive 25 of 27 shots (.925%) in the win.New Jersey (22-9-2) beat the Panthers 4-2 on Wednesday. Jesper Bratt scored twice to lead the Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood saved 34 of 36 shots in the win (.944%).

HEAD TO HEAD

The Bruins won all three games between the teams last season, including an 8-1 victory in their final meeting in March, their third straight win against New Jersey.

Patrice Bergeron (1G 2A) and Pastrnak (0G 3A) each had three points to lead Boston. Jack Hughes scored New Jersey’s only goal. Linus Ullmark got the win, saving 25 of 26 shots (.961%).

FACING OFF

Boston is averaging 3.88 goals per game for the season, second in the NHL. The visitors will face a difficult test against a Devils team that is allowing just 2.52 goals a game (3rd).

Meanwhile, New Jersey has found the net 3.39 times a game on average, eighth in the league, and the Bruins are holding opponents to a league-best 2.16 goals per game.

Both teams average more shots per game than most teams in the league. New Jersey’s 35.1 average ranks second, while Boston ranks No. 3 with 34.9 attempts.

The Bruins have proven equally adept at stopping shots with a team save percentage of .927% (1st), while the Devils have stopped .910% of attempts (12th).

The Bruins’ 29.51% power play percentage is the third-best in the league, while the Devils rank 25th with a conversion rate of 18.63%. Boston has been equally impressive at penalty killing, boasting the league’s highest PK% at 85.25%. New Jersey ranks 11th at 80.58%.

TOP PERFORMERS:

With 45 points this season, sixth-most in the NHL, Pastrnak is the top skater for the Bruins. He is among the league leaders with 22 goals (6th) and has added 23 assists. In the net, Ullmark (18-1-1) is Boston’s top goaltender by goals against average.

He has a 1.89 GAA, best in the league, and a .937% save percentage, also best. Hughes leads the Devils in scoring with 38 points. He has 17 goals and 21 assists. Vitek Vanecek (12-4-2) is the top goalie for New Jersey with a goals against average of 2.45. He has a save percentage of .908%.

HOME AND AWAY

Boston is 8-4-0 away from TD Garden this season. New Jersey has dropped four in a row at Prudential Center this season. Meanwhile, the Bruins are 2-1 without a day off and 1-1 playing with a rest disadvantage. The Devils are 2-1 with a rest advantage.