Devils Make One Last Playoff Push

Boston Bruins @ New Jersey Devils - Wednesday April 10, 2013 7:30PM EST

The betting sites do not need to remind a veteran New Jersey Devils team just how hard it is to make the playoffs. The Devils came out of nowhere last year to grab a spot in the Stanley Cup finals. For the previous few years, New Jersey had struggled to make the playoffs as well. As the shortened 2013 season starts to wind down, the Devils find themselves on the outside looking in on the Eastern Conference playoff race. New Jersey is stuck in the middle of a lot of teams that are working hard to grab that eighth and final playoff spot.

The Boston Bruins seemed to have a goal from the minute training camp opened this season. Despite the online betting revelation that Vezina-winning goalie Tim Thomas wanted to take a year off, the Bruins did not let that stop their playoff plans. The team made Tuukka Rask the starting goaltender and Rask has responded. The team brought in veteran Jaromir Jagr at the trade deadline, just in time to take the place of the injure Patrice Bergeron. This team is focused and it wants nothing less than its second Stanley Cup championship in three years.

Why the Devils Will Win

The Devils lost a shoot-out decision to the Buffalo Sabres recently and the Buffalo fans were still booing their own team. The sportsbook experts suspect that the Sabres’ faithful were booing their team’s inability to deal with the ferocious New Jersey forecheck and that is a problem that the Bruins will have to deal with as well. Boston has always had a problem with the way New Jersey plays hockey and it has allowed New Jersey to upset the Bruins on more than one occasion. The Devils hope that this is one of those occasions.

Why the Bruins Will Win

The Boston Bruins are within striking distance of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the Eastern Conference lead and the Bruins know how important that top conference spot is. The addition of Jagr to the Bruins’ lineup only shows how serious Boston is about winning the Stanley Cup. The Devils will definitely have their hands full as the Bruins are a physical team that will not back down from the New Jersey forecheck. Boston is strong in all aspects of its game and that is something the Devils will have to find a way to contend with.

The Bottom Line

This game will feature two teams who are desperate for different reasons. The Bruins play with desperation because they are focused on a goal they have had all season long. The Devils are desperate because they want to make it into the playoffs. These are two very different attitudes that will yield nothing but positive results for the Bruins and bad news for the struggling New Jersey Devils.

Pick: Boston Bruins