The Carolina Hurricanes visit the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, April 17 at Canadian Tire Centre. The puck drops at 7:00 PM ET. Both teams are headed to the playoffs, but first they finish the regular season with this Eastern Conference matchup.
Carolina has secured second in the Metropolitan Division and will play the New Jersey Devils in the first round. Ottawa is fourth in the Atlantic and is set to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in an all-Ontario series. These teams last met on December 13, when Ottawa earned a 3-0 win in Carolina.
Senators Preview – Home Ice Confidence and Offensive Streaks
Ottawa is 44-30-7 overall and 26-11-3 at home. They’ve won 21 of their last 29 games at Canadian Tire Centre. The team has leaned on strong third-period efforts, hitting the 3P moneyline in 17 of their last 40 home games.
Drake Batherson and Thomas Chabot have point streaks heading into the finale. Dylan Cozens had two assists in the last game, and Nick Cousins added a goal. The Senators rank among the better teams in second-period scoring and have hit the over in 20 of their last 31 games.
Brady Tkachuk is listed as day-to-day but may return for this game. He’s been out since March 30 but could use the game to get ready for the playoffs. Linus Ullmark and Anton Forsberg have split time in net, with Forsberg getting the start in the last outing against Chicago.
Hurricanes Preview – Final Tune-Up for a Deep Run
Carolina enters the game at 47-29-5 and 16-20-4 on the road. They’ve lost four of their last five, but rested several top players in the most recent games. The Hurricanes hit the under often in away games, including 23 times in their last 45 road contests.
Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, and Jordan Staal were all scratched against Montreal. All are expected to return to the lineup against Ottawa or for Game 1 of the playoffs. Carolina also held out Jaccob Slavin, Jalen Chatfield, and Jordan Martinook for rest purposes.
Young players filled in well in the loss to Montreal. Skyler Brind’Amour went 8-for-10 on faceoffs in his debut, while defenseman Dominick Fensore recorded five shots on goal. Carolina’s goaltending rotation has been led by Pyotr Kochetkov (27-16-3, .897 SV%) and Frederik Andersen (13-7-1, .907 SV%).
Betting Prediction
Ottawa is listed at -109 and Carolina at +106 on the moneyline. The total is set at 6.0 goals. The Senators have played better hockey at home and may have a more complete lineup for this game.
Carolina’s focus will be staying healthy heading into the playoffs. Ottawa has been the more consistent team late in the season, especially in scoring. Take the Senators at home in a tight contest.
Pick: Ottawa Senators -1.5
The final day of regulation, and the Senators come away with a win. Enjoy the National Hockey League and best of luck with all your bets. The postseason will start this weekend!
