Welcome back to NHL Predictions here at Last Word on Hockey! Each day of the NHL season, we examine exciting upcoming games, giving our preview, analysis and prediction. Today’s lineup of games features the Ottawa Senators visiting the Los Angeles Kings. Be sure to check back everyday to read all our NHL Predictions!
NHL Predictions
Ottawa Senators at Los Angeles Kings
Time: 7 p.m. EST (Easter Standard Time)
TV: ESPN+, Fanduel Sports Network West, TSN
The Senators and Kings wrap up their season series Saturday evening. The teams will play their second and final game at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. The game holds many intriguing storylines to keep an eye on.
Head to Head
The first game between these teams took place on October 14th. Coincidentally, this game was played on Canadian Thanksgiving. The second game will take place only days after American Thanksgiving. The Senators took the thrilling game in overtime by a score of 8-7. Expect a closer game, as the teams and coaches are likely to be much more conservative after a combined 15 goals scored in the past game.
Special Teams
Ottawa boasts the fourth best power play percentage in the NHL currently. Their power play has a 28.6 success rate. This should match up nicely in their favor against a Kings team that takes a lot of penalties. The Kings are seventh in penalty minutes taken across the league. More likely than not, the Senators should get opportunities for their power play to be a difference maker this game. The Kings will need the best out of their penalty kill to combat this, which is currently ranked fourteenth in the league.
2020 NHL Entry Draft
This game once again allows us to see two of the top three picks of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft compete against each other. Quinton Byfield and Tim Stutzle were selected at number two and three overall, respectively by their teams. Both players are highly skilled and have met with success in their young NHL careers. Stutzle has had the better numbers so far in his career, already having a 30 goal/90 point season under his belt, and scoring 70 points last year. Stutzle leads his team in points and assists.
Byfield had a breakout season last year, but has still been looking to heat up this season. Byfield posted 55 points last season. He has 10 points so far this season. One thing to keep in mind when comparing the two players, Byfield has played in one hundred and five fewer games than Stutzle. It will be exciting to see the young talents compete against each other, a rare occurrence due to them playing in different conferences.
Prop Bets
Fanduel Sportsbook has Tim Stutzle at +240 to score a goal tonight. It feels like Stutzle is due to find the back of the net too. Similarly for the Kings, Kevin Fiala is +230 to score. Fiala has been playing well lately and could find the back of the net.
Prediction:
This feels like a game that could go either way, and will definitely be decided when both teams hit the ice. Fatigue could also be a factor. The Kings will be playing their fourth game this week and are playing back to back nights. Combine this with the special teams advantage the Sens have, they could take this game.
Final Prediction: Ottawa Senators 3-2 over Los Angeles Kings
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