Welcome to the latest edition of NHL Predictions. Every day, the Last Word on Hockey team jumps into the details of the biggest matchups to provide you with analysis and discuss what key elements could make or break the game. Today, we’ll be taking a look at the Ottawa Senators versus the Carolina Hurricanes. Feel free to check out our other NHL Predictions as the season continues.
NHL Predictions
Ottawa Senators at Carolina Hurricanes
Time: 7:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST)
TV: FanDuel Sports South, ESPN+
The Carolina Hurricanes are hosting the Ottawa Senators in their first meeting of the season. The Sens currently sit at the middle at the Atlantic standings with 17 points on the season. Meanwhile, the Canes sit towards the top of the Metropolitan standings, with 22 points.
The Hurricanes Story
Starting off this set of NHL Predictions, we’ll discuss the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canes have been impressive this season, as noted with their place in the standings and in-game performance. However, as of late, the Canes have dealt with some injury dilemmas, as young star Seth Jarvis has been out with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, netminder Pyotr Kochetkov had a scary moment against the Utah Hockey Club after finding himself bumped into the net. Pulled from the ice, Spencer Martin took up the role of guarding the red frame in relief. This comes as veteran netminder Frederik Andersen remains out for an extensive period of time.
At Utah on Thursday, the Canes found themselves on the receiving end of a stinger of a game. Going into the third period, the score was 1-1. However, that number soon changed as Utah turned the tables in their favour in one of the most bizarre third periods of the season. Utah scored three goals in well under three minutes, with the swapping of Canes netminders due to an injury sandwiched between said goals. Jumped by Michael Carcone, Jack Drury pulled an unusual seven-minute power play for his team. However, the power play saw no goals, and instead sadly saw an errant puck hitting Mikhail Sergachev in the face.
The quote-unquote ‘better game’ was arguably played by the Carolina Hurricanes, as far as offensive, non-goal stats go. The Canes managed 50 to 21 shots on goal, led in faceoffs, and landed only two penalty minutes to Utah’s 25. However, the win clearly went to Utah, with a large part being thanks to Karel Vejmelka who made 49 saves. The highest number of saves in his NHL career and tied only with Vitek Vanecek for most on the season.
We got Veggie’d pic.twitter.com/unyLCXFdHD
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) November 14, 2024
The Senators Story
The Ottawa Senators have improved a bit from where they were at last year. After 16 games last season, they sat at the very bottom of the Atlantic Division with a point percentage of .500%. Today, however, they have a point percentage of .531%. The point difference may be slight, but with the addition of new members acquired in the offseason, there is hope from Sens fans that the upward trend will continue.
The Ottawa Senators have had some impressive moments so far this season. In a Battle of Ontario on Tuesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs were shutout by the Ottawa Senators. Not only did netminder Linus Ullmark grasp his first shutout with the Sens, but his team outshot the Leafs 40 to 26.
Thursday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers was a little bit different, however. The (once again) quote-unquote ‘better game’ was played by the Sens, with 37 to 19 shots on goal, four to 12 penalty minutes, a significantly better faceoff, and six to 18 giveaways. Ultimately, the win went to the Philadelphia Flyers who’d pushed the game to overtime. Rookie Matvei Michkov was the man behind the game-winning goal.
Final stats from tonight’s game against Philly 📊 pic.twitter.com/zprmUl3RyD
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) November 15, 2024
Prediction: Ottawa Senators at Carolina Hurricanes
As it stands, the Canes are above the league average in most statistics. What has been a real eye-catcher with this team is their dominance in the offensive zone. The Carolina Hurricanes have been averaging a goals-for statistic of 4.00 per game, alongside a shooting percentage of 11.4%.
However, the Ottawa Senators are certainly nothing to sneeze at. In only 16 games, the Sens have already managed three shutout victories. Their special teams have been especially dangerous, with a power play percentage of 29.63% and a penalty kill percentage of 80.00%.
This is truly anyone’s game, and while statistics show that Carolina has the edge, it should also be noted that there is uncertainty in the net. It is unlikely that Pyotr Kochetkov will play due to recovering from a minor injury, so it is expected to see Spencer Martin between the pipes. While Martin is a pretty good backup goalie, the lack of NHL ice-time throughout his career should be noted. Naturally, be sure to always check the official game day lineup before placing any bets.
Prediction: Hurricanes win 5-4
Your Prop Bets of the Night
According to Bet365, the Carolina Hurricanes are favoured to win. The over/under sits at 6.0, with over being the main pick. For the Sens, Brady Tkachuk (+190) has been showing some real consistency this season and would make for a good anytime goalscorer bet. For the Canes, Martin Nečas (+190) has had the hot hands lately and should be a good choice for an anytime goalscorer.
Main Photo Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
Please play responsibly, check for your local rules and age restrictions, some jurisdictions require ages 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
