Welcome back to NHL Predictions with Last Word on Hockey. Here, we provide in-depth insight into the best matchups around the NHL. Today, we dive into the Ottawa Senators and New Jersey Devils.
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NHL Predictions
Ottawa Senators vs New Jersey Devils
Time: 1:00 Eastern Standard Time (EST)
TV: MSGSN, TSN, NHL Network
Head-to-Head: New Jersey leads 1-0-0
The Senators visit the Devils for the first time this season. New Jersey took the first meeting of the year in Ontario on Oct. 17 by a 3-1 tally. Erik Haula, Nathan Bastian, and Paul Cotter each found the back of the net in that contest. Jacob Markstrom made 30 saves for the win but lost the shutout bid in the final minute. Brady Tkachuk spoiled the bid with a power-play marker on the game’s final shot.
Senators Miracle Run
Ottawa enters the day with 50 points, tied with the Boston Bruins for the final postseason spot in the Eastern Conference. On Saturday, the Senators stunned the Bruins with a 6-5 victory at home. Josh Norris scored his second of the day with 12 seconds remaining before Tim Stutzle was the shootout hero. Ottawa has bounced back after sitting 8-11-1 on American Thanksgiving. Since then, they have gone 15-7-3 and have situated themselves into a logjam in the Eastern wild-card picture.
The offense has struggled at times, only boasting the 24th-best mark at 2.82 goals per game. Despite that number, the Senators are known for putting pressure on the opposing defense, as shown by their nearly 30 shots on target a night. German star Tim Stutzle is leading the way, pacing the team with 45 points in 45 games. He, along with Adam Gaudette, has tallied 15 goals this year. Add 18 from Brady Tkachuk, 17 from Josh Norris, and 14 from Drake Batherson. The Senators have plenty of weapons that can be found on the scoresheet regularly.
In the net, Linus Ullmark sits sixth in the league with a .915 SV% after coming over from Boston this offseason. He is currently week-to-week due to a back injury he suffered last month, but he will join the team on this trip. Nine-year veteran Anton Forsberg will likely start in the net after sitting out at Saturday’s contest. He last suited up on Jan. 9 against Buffalo and holds a .883 SV% in 14 starts.
The Devils Need Sustained Offence
New Jersey also played on Saturday, but their four-game point streak was snapped in a 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. The Devils have lost eight outings in their last ten, only finding 19 goals over that stretch. New Jersey struggled to find consistency Saturday, only mustering 13 shots (7 in the final frame) after scoring early on their first shot.
Dougie Hamilton scored their lone goal, his sixth of the season. New Jersey saw Stephan Noesen return after missing two games with sickness. Rumors are that a bug is going around the locker room, and the lineups will be game-time decisions, but the team had no significant absences Saturday.
Jacob Markstrom should get the start in the net after serving as the backup on Saturday afternoon. The Devils should once again lean on his stellar play recently while the offense digs to find an answer.
NHL Predictions
The first time these Senators and Devils met, the season was too young to determine their trajectories. Now, at the midway point, both clubs set their sights on playing deep into the spring. Ottawa is trending in the right direction and could even find itself on the inside of the playoff bracket by the end of the day.
The Devils have struggled over the last 10 games but are still finding ways to score points. In their last eight losses, three have come in extra time, and three have been one-goal defeats or saw an empty net in the final second. The Devils have more offensive firepower when things are going right. They could see another struggling goaltender as the chance to break out of their slump.
Both teams played a matinee game on Saturday. Still, the Devils will have the luxury of sleeping in their beds Saturday night and having their puck drop three hours earlier than Ottawa. This game is the definition of a coin flip, but the slight advantages the Devils should have could help lean the game in their favor.
Prediction: 3-2 New Jersey in overtime.
Prop Bets of the Night
The Devils enter as -180 favorites at home. We expect this to be a tightly contested and even matchup and predict a New Jersey overtime win. The Senators at +160 underdogs could be intriguing if a bounce goes their way late or in that extra frame.
Josh Norris found the twine twice on Saturday and has gotten good looks recently on the offense. We like his +190 odds to score at any time on Sunday.
On the Devils side, Ondrej Palat had one of the better games for the Devils on Saturday. The veteran could be the one that breaks the Devils out of their scoring funk. Consider taking a chance on him at +350 to find the net.
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Photo Credit- Marc DesRosiers 10/19/2024
The post NHL Predictions: January 19 Ottawa Senators Vs New Jersey Devils appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.