Welcome back to another edition NHL Predictions. Each day our writers here at Last Word on Hockey take a look at the games, breaking down the key matchups and providing relevant analysis to how they might play out. Today, for a Sunday evening contest, we feature the Ottawa Senators as they conclude their three-game road trip against the Colorado Avalanche. Don’t forget to check out all the action, as our writers continue our NHL predictions throughout the 2024-25 season.
NHL Predictions
Ottawa Senators at Colorado Avalanche, from Ball Arena
Time: 9:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
TV: TSN5, RDS1, ESPN+
2023-24 Regular Season Series Colorado won (2-0)
The Pressure Feels Constant as the Ottawa Senators Travel to the Rocky Mountains
If it feels like every game is important for the Ottawa Senators, maybe it is about time to get used to it. Okay, maybe that is a slight exaggeration, as this is a late October game, on the road. But hey, try telling the team that after the disappointment blown lead late in the game on Friday against the Vegas Golden Knights. Vegas scored three goals in 1:25 late in the third, one of which was an empty netter, to close out the comeback, 6-4.
The Sens are 4-3 on the year, and would love a win to stay ahead of the curve. Even if it is only early in the season. Linus Ullmark should be prepared for a bounce back effort in net. Furthermore, the Sens best players have been playing well. Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson are tied for the team lead in points with nine.
The major uncertainty is the few, but impactful injuries, that affect the lineup. Moreover, this has been a similar, disturbing trend for the Sens roster consistently through the last few seasons. It is not necessarily the quantity of injuries, but the quality or importance of those players that are missing time. Right now Artem Zub, the club’s top, right-hand defenceman, remains out with concussion symptoms. Also, Shane Pinto missed Friday’s game and had not been a full-time participant in practice over the past week. His status is unknown, but nonetheless, his presence remains essential to the Sens lineup structure.
On the other hand, one player who has taken advantage of the extra opportunity upfront, has been Adam Gaudette. Things weren’t looking overly optimistic when he was sent down to Belleville before the start of the regular season. However, combined as a result of injuries but also earning a spot on the team out of camp over other candidates, Gaudette managed to stick around the big club thus far. His two goals and one assist have not gone unnoticed to head coach Travis Green or Sens fans in general, for that matter.
The 2024-25 Season So Far for the Colorado Avalanche
It is early, but the season has been a dichotomy of the good and the bad for the Avs. After four games, they were 0-4, being outscored 25-13. But catapulted forward by a 4-3 overtime against the Anaheim Ducks, the Avalanche have won their three games since as well. The Avs currently sit at 4-4 on the season, with 29 goals for, and 32 goals against.
It seems that the Avs are back to humming along as usual. Their best players, are playing like their best players, and who are some of the best players on the planet. Defenceman, yes defenceman, Cale Makar leads the entire NHL in assists (12) and points (15). Furthermore, Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon are tied with 13 points each. Alexandar Georgiev is listed as the starter. However, it has been the younger Justus Annunen stealing the show thus far. Annunen is 3-1 with a .917 save percentage, meanwhile, Georgiev is 1-3 with a .810 SV%.
NHL Predictions: Avalanche and Senators
Look for the Senators to come out hard against the Avalanche in this one. Travis Green will have the troops fired up after the disappointing loss last time out. However, after the Avalanche initial 0-4 start, that was similar to what Avs head coach Jared Bednar must have had his players mindset at. Colorado is a a star-studded squad, and look for their big guns to be too much for the Sens armour to deflect.
Prediction: Avalanche win in regulation, 4-2.
According to Fanduel, if we want to look at adding some extra excitement to the action, check out these picks. If we go with our predicted score (4-2 Avs), it is at +1800. The six goals total leads to under 6.5 goals, paying -102 at the time of writing. A couple of anytime goal scorers for either team, look at Joshua Norris for Ottawa or Joel Kiviranta for Colorado.
Main Photo: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
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