One of these teams was the worst in the NHL last season, and the other was a conference finalist. On Monday night, they meet up and are actually a lot closer together than previously expected. The Ottawa Senators (6-9-1, seventh in Atlantic) are still a rebuilding team, but one that has won two games in a row. They now go to Raleigh, NC, to play the Carolina Hurricanes (9-7-1, fifth in Metropolitan), a team that had a scorching start but is now in the midst of a four-game losing streak, one of them being a 4-1 loss to Ottawa on Saturday.
Here is a preview for Monday night’s Senators-Hurricanes rematch, along with odds and a pick.
By the Numbers
Even though they’ve improved in certain areas, the Senators are still a team that mostly struggles across the board. Ottawa is 21st in both goals scored (2.81) and goals allowed (3.13). The Senators have the league’s worst penalty kill at 6.9 percent and allow the fifth-most shots per game with 34.4. They do get just under 31 shots per game (30.9), which ranks 19th, and are average on the penalty kill as well.
The Hurricanes are once again a team that focuses on puck possession and regularly outshooting their opponents. Look no further than a league-low 28.7 shots allowed per game, while also putting the seventh-most shots on net with 33.6.
Yet they’re still 14th with 3.06 goals per game and 13th with 2.94 goals allowed. Carolina also has a top-10 power-play unit but is just 16th with an 81.0 penalty-kill percentage.
What to Watch
The first thing to look out for in this game is the huge discrepancy between home and road performance. The Senators have won two games in a row but are a dismal 1-5-1 away from home this year. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes have one of the best home-ice advantages in the sport and back it up with a 6-3-0 record at home. When these teams played on Saturday, it was in Ottawa, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see a vastly different result in this one.
Carolina is one of the few teams that is being led in scoring by a defenseman. Dougie Hamilton has 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) to lead the Hurricanes while also leading with 23 minutes of ice time per game. His impact has been huge, especially when last season’s standouts like Sebastian Aho (six goals, five assists) are still trying to get in a groove.
Ottawa has a good defenseman of its own in Thomas Chabot. The second-year player has one goal and eight assists — which is fifth on the Senators — and is continuing to get better. Other exciting players on Ottawa include the former first-rounder, Brady Tkachuk. The left-winger, who is the brother of Flames winger Matthew and son of former NHLer Keith, has five goals and five assists in 16 games.
Goalies
Ottawa is set to start the veteran Anders Nilsson. Nilsson is 4-3-1 with a 2.67 GAA and .930 save percentage. Carolina will counter with Petr Mrazek. Mrazek is 7-3-1 with a 2.56 GAA and .904 save percentage.
Odds and Pick
The Hurricanes are big favorites, listed at -240 despite being on a four-game losing streak. But this game still feels like a mismatch despite Ottawa being the better team on Saturday. Expect Carolina’s puck-possessing style to give Ottawa fits and draw it into penalties, something it does more than all but one team in hockey. If Mrazek can keep out the shots that do reach him, the Hurricanes will limit the damage with their elite shot-suppressing. Give me the Hurricanes -240.
