Welcome back to another Canadian team matchup edition of NHL Predictions here at Last Word on Hockey as the Edmonton Oilers are in the nation’s capital to take on the Ottawa Senators. This is setting up to be a good one as both teams are looking to get back into their winning ways. Don’t forget, be sure to check our all our coverage as we look at key matchups and provide detailed analysis on all the games throughout the 2024-25 campaign.
NHL Predictions
Edmonton Oilers at Ottawa Senators, from Canadian Tire Centre
Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
TV: TSN5, RDS, Sportsnet West, ESPN+
2023-24 Regular Season Series was tied at a game a piece.
The Ottawa Senators Looking to Prove They’re Better
The Senators do sit at .500, but they have been much different at home than on the road. At the friendly confines of the Canadian Tire Centre, they are 4-0-0 when they score first and 5-2-1 overall. One impressive stat is that they have been getting the drop on their opponents on home ice. They’ve outscored their opposition 10-3 in the first period of home games. Therefore, head coach Travis Green does have a recipe for success, so perhaps it just boils down to execution.
A couple players who have been executing for the Sens thus far are Thomas Chabot and Tim Stutzle. Stutzle is back to his form from 2022-23 when he notched 90 points. He is currently on pace for a 100-point-plus campaign with 21 points through 17 contests. Moreover, Chabot has been regaining his form of years past, gone bye. Prior to being shutout by Carolina on Saturday, Chabot had been riding a four-game point streak. It seems have a regular partner that complements his skillset in Nick Jensen, is one of the most underrated moves by general manager Steve Staios from the past offseason.
The Sens come into this one seemingly healthy. In net, Linus Ullmark is the expected starter. As a note, please make sure to check for the very latest lineup news before locking in your fantasy starters. With all things being considered equal, the Sens should be able to put their best foot forward in tonight’s matchup. Edmonton will be fired up however, so they’ll need to bring their ‘A’ game.
The Edmonton Oilers Trying to Get a Win in Eastern Canada
The Edmonton Oilers were trending in the right direction but ran into a tough Montreal Canadiens team last night. That was following a tough Saturday night loss in overtime to the Toronto Maple Leafs. They are still above the high water mark at 9-8-2, but you know Connor McDavid and company aren’t happy. Furthermore, they are without one of their better defencemen as Darnell Nurse will miss a few days following the big hit from Ryan Reaves on Saturday.
In the postgame from last night, head coach Kris Knoblauch alluded to the team searching for answers. Analytically, the team has been very good thus far. They are second in the league in expected goal differential at 9.96. In addition, their xGoals% of 56.12% has them in third in the entire. As a note, Ottawa is also strong in this category in fifth with 53.81%. However, in terms of actual goals per game, both teams, but especially the Oilers, would like an improvement. Edmonton is 24th at 2.63 and Ottawa is 13th at 3.24. So, will tonight the teams turn this offensive generation into actual goals? That is to be determined.
Look for Stuart Skinner to get the call after Calvin Pickard played last night in Montreal. Furthermore, Edmonton will come out hard after coach Knoblauch gets them fired up following their two losses in Montreal and Toronto.
NHL Predictions: Oilers and Senators
The Sens need a win. The Oilers need a win. It will be a tough contest. This will be close as Ottawa is so good at home but McDavid will do what he can to get the W.
Prediction: Ottawa wins in regulation, 4-3.
According to Fanduel, if we want to look at adding some friendly wagers on the outcomes, check these out. Despite the shutout last night, McDavid remains hot with 11 points in five games. He’s at -106 to get two or more points, so that’s a good bet to get your parlay started. The over of 6.5 is at +100, so take that as well. For a Sens anytime scorer, Josh Norris is +220, we like that one. That three-leg parlay pays at +598.
Main Photo: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
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