Bruins going for history: Previewing Saturday’s matchup against the Devils on ABC
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ESPN staff
ESPN’s slate of exclusive broadcasts features a doozy Saturday: It’s a tripleheader on ABC and ESPN+, capped off by the Boston Bruins hosting the New Jersey Devils at 8 p.m. ET.
Not only is this a battle of two of the NHL’s top teams but the Bruins can tie the single-season record for wins (62) if they pull out a victory over the Devils. For more on all the Bruins’ historic exploits this season, head here.
To help get you ready for the game, we’ve put together a guide on the key players to watch for each team, including in-depth statistical insights from ESPN Stats & Information, and more.
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8 p.m. ET | Watch live on ESPN+
Bruins
Power Rankings: 1
Leading scorer: David Pastrnak (57 G, 47 A, 104 P)
2022-23 record: 61-12-5, first in Atlantic Division
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The Bruins’ offense centers on an elite ability to move the puck toward high-quality scoring areas of the ice. Boston averages an NHL-best 14.1 passes to the slot per game (league average is 11.3 per game), per Stathletes data. Furthermore, 39.0% of their shot attempts are taken from the slot, which is the third-highest rate in the NHL, trailing only the Maple Leafs (39.6%) and Blues (39.4%).
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One-timers are an effective shot selection because their quickness decreases the time for defenses, in particular goaltenders, to defend them. The Bruins generate 29.9% of their scoring chances off one-timers, the highest rate in the NHL (league average is 24.3%), per Stathletes data. Only the Oilers (86) and Kings (83) have scored more goals on one-timers this season than the Bruins have (81). Pastrnak is largely responsible for that total, having scored 20 one-timer goals this season, tied for second most in the NHL with Mark Scheifele and behind only Leon Draisaitl (27).
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Defensively, the Bruins lead the NHL, having allowed only 2.10 goals per game, the only team below 2.50.
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Boston simply does an exceptional job at limiting its opponents’ scoring opportunities. Only the Hurricanes (11.5) and Kings (12.3) allow fewer scoring chances per game than the Bruins (12.4).
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Pastrnak is second in the NHL with 57 goals and is tied for fifth with 104 points, on pace for 60 and 109, respectively. Those totals don’t approach the NHL records, but it is already the fifth-highest total in a season by a Bruin, breaking Phil Esposito’s clean sweep of the top five goal-scoring seasons in B’s history.
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According to Stathletes data, Pastrnak’s 8.81 shot attempts per game trails only Nathan MacKinnon (9.03) among NHL skaters. He leads the league in one-timer shot attempts per game (2.62) and sits third in shot attempts between the dots per game (6.25) behind only Auston Matthews (6.70) and MacKinnon (6.66).
Devils
Power Rankings: 3
Leading scorer: Jack Hughes (42 G, 53 A, 95 P)
2022-23 record: 50-21-8
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Excluding shootout winners, the Devils have outscored their opponents by 56 goals this season, which is third in the NHL behind only the Bruins (+119) and Oilers (+60). Their 63 goals allowed in the third period is fewer than every other team except Boston (56).
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Each of the Devils’ top four goal scorers this season are under the age of 25: 21-year-old Hughes has 42, 24-year-old Nico Hischier has 31, 24-year-old Jesper Bratt has 31 and 21-year-old Dawson Mercer has 27.
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New Jersey is the only club this season with each of its top four goal scorers under the age of 25. If Mercer scores three goals in the team’s final five games, the Devils can become the first team in 38 years to feature four players under the age of 25 who score at least 30 goals in a season. In 1984-85, the Jets and Oilers accomplished that feat.
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Although the Devils’ roster is young, their head coach has been around quite a while. One of five head coaches in NHL history with at least 1,700 regular-season games, Lindy Ruff has led a team to the postseason for the 11th time in 22 campaigns in that role.
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The Devils are an elite team going from defense to offense, having scored 34.6% of their goals this season off the rush, per Stathletes research. That is the third-highest rate in the league, trailing only the Blues (39.3%) and Sabres (35.6%). Their 93 goals off the rush is tied for third in the NHL, with the Connor McDavid and Draisaitl-led Oilers, again trailing only the Blues and Sabres (99).
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The Devils are very much a team that subscribes to the philosophy that no shot attempt is a bad shot attempt. They average 64.8 shot attempts per game overall, per Stathletes data, fourth in the league behind the Hurricanes, Flames and Panthers.
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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