Winnipeg at Boston

Boston had a lot of offseason changes after a disappointing and at times listless campaign. Boston already has a huge question mark for the opener with the status of towering defenseman and captain Zdeno Chara uncertain. Defense is the biggest concern for Boston on opening night with Doug Hamilton traded away, Chara hurting and defenseman Dennis Seidenberg out eight weeks following back surgery. The Bruins are 2-8 against the Western Conference and 0-4 when playing on three or more days rest. They don't get an easy home opener with a talented and potent Winnipeg offense in town. Winnipeg had an uneventful offseason after rolling up a franchise-high 99 points and earning a postseason berth for the first time since 2007. Scoring is not a problem with captain Andrew Ladd, Bryan Little, Blake Wheeler and Drew Stafford. The Jets tied for the league lead with 10 short-handed goals last season. Boston has had Winnipeg's number for a while, but that will change as these teams are headed in different directors and the visitors are much deeper and healthier for this opener. Take the Winnipeg Jets.