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The Bruins’ last week was a busy one, with four games on the schedule. They were on the road for the first three and then ended the week with a single home game. The biggest lineup news was the injuries suffered by goaltender Jeremy Swayman and defenseman Derek Forbort, who have both been placed on IR and are now out for multiple weeks. Boston also recalled Keith Kinkaid to fill in as a backup until Swayman returns.
The Bruins kicked off their play last week with a thrilling 6-5 OT win over the rival Penguins. Boston got down early in that game but bounced back with two unanswered goals in the third period to force OT. Six different Bruins scored goals in the game and defenseman Hampus Lindholm was the only Bruins player to score more than one point, as the defenseman had a career night with a goal and three assists. Lindholm has been integral to the Bruins’ early success in the absence of Charlie Coyle (IR). Jeremy Swayman (who was relieving Linus Ullmark in this game) suffered an injury after stopping four shots and was placed on IR recently. He’s been described as week-to-week by the club.
Boston’s next game involved a matchup with the Rangers and what was likely one of their most satisfying wins of the season. Boston scored four times on reigning Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin and added an empty net goal to win by three. Hampus Lindholm again scored multiple points (1g, 1a) and the Bruins again used a balanced attack with five different players scoring goals.
The Bruins’ next game was against the Maple Leafs and it saw them suffer only their second loss of the season. The Bruins’ offense went somewhat dry in this game as they only managed 21 shots on net. Brad Marchand got the only Boston goal, his fourth in five games played. This was Boston’s third game in five days, so fatigue could have been an issue.
Boston bounced back quickly from that loss though with a solid 3-1 win against the struggling St. Louis Blues. Boston remains a perfect 7-0 in home games on the season and fired 37 shots at Blues G Jordan Binnington. Linus Ullmark only allowed one goal on 28 shots faced and also moved his record to 7-0 in home games. This past week involved four games in a short span and the end of a very long road trip, so to come out of it with a 3-1 record was a very positive outcome for the club.
Top Goal Scorer: David Pastrnak, 8 goals (four different Bruins have five goals on the season)
Top Point Getter: David Pastrnak (20 pts - Hampus Lindholm is second with 13 pts)
Top Goalie: Linus Ullmark - 10 games started (6-0-0, 2.05 GAA and .932 save%)
Bruins upcoming schedule for the week of November 8:
- Thursday, November 10 vs. Calgary Flames
- Saturday, November 12 at Buffalo Sabres
- Sunday, November 13 vs. Vancouver Canucks
Bruins DraftKings Fantasy Preview for Upcoming Games
Injury update: Charlie McAvoy (IR), Derek Forbort (IR), Jeremy Swayman (IR)
Thursday, November 10 vs. Calgary Flames
The Flames still rate out as a solid team but come into this week in a bit of a slump. Calgary has now lost five games in a row and will be taking on an extremely tough Devils team this Tuesday. This game against Boston will also mark the third game in four nights for the Flames, who have not gotten the same kind of goaltending from Jacob Markstrom that they did last season. Markstrom’s save percentage on the season is now under .900, so the Flames’ offense will have to carry them if they want to upset the Bruins. Given how well Linus Ullmark has played at home, that will be a tough ask.
Boston’s forwards are in good shape for some big fantasy performances this week, and it starts in this matchup against the Flames, who have yet to show the same kind of form on defense, or in net, that they did last season.
Saturday, November 12 at Buffalo Sabres
In years past this would have been a complete mismatch with a Bruins romp being the most likely outcome. The Sabres have gotten off to a surprisingly fast start, though, and carry a 7-5 record into this week. Buffalo’s offense has been carrying them as they’re currently averaging 4.1 goals per game, which is tied with Boston for best in the league. This game certainly has shootout written all over it as the Bruins goalies haven’t been as stellar away from Boston this season. The Sabres have shown some signs of regression, as their goalies have allowed five goals or more in each of their last two games.
Of note is the Bruins’ incredible record against the Sabres. The Bruins are now 16-1 against Buffalo over their last 17 meetings — with Boston having scored four or more goals in each of the last eight meetings between these two teams. It doesn’t get much better than this for the Bruins’ forwards in fantasy.
Sunday, November 13 vs. Vancouver Canucks
The week ends with the Bruins welcoming another weaker Western conference team to Boston. The Canucks rank fourth-worst in goals against this season and are also dead last in penalty-kill percentage. The Canucks’ offense has some pop, as they’ve averaged 3.4 goals for per game this season, but the team carries just a 3-6-3 record.
This could be a spot for the Bruins to give new backup Keith Kinkaid a start, and the Bruins’ goalie rotation (to see when they give Linus Ullmark a rest) will be something to keep an eye on this week. Regardless, this is another must-start for the Bruins’ top players. Consider stacking players like Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak together on DraftKings for fantasy purposes.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is wavegoodbye) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.