Carolina Hurricanes vs. Ottawa Senators: NHL Odds, Prediction
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Jeremy Perry
The Carolina Hurricanes are seven points out of a playoff spot with eight games to go. Even if they win out, they will have a tough time getting into the elite eight in the Eastern Conference. That said, the Hurricanes will be playing with a sense of urgency down the stretch as they look to finish strong and build some confidence that they could carry over into next season. Carolina has won two of its last three. The Hurricanes will look to build on the momentum they have generated when they visit the Ottawa Senators in the first of a home-and-home series on Saturday night. Ottawa is trending in the opposite direction with three straight losses and the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference. With an eye on the top pick in this year’s NHL Draft, the Senators would have no problem losing out over their final nine games in order to improve their overall odds of winning the draft lottery.
Hurricanes vs Senators Betting Analysis
Ottawa has hovered around the .500 mark on home ice this season with a 15-16-6 record at Canadian Tire Centre this season. However, they’ve dropped six of seven at home. They are just 1-6 on the season when playing at home with a total of 6 or higher.
Meanwhile, Carolina is just 15-16-5 on the road in 2017-18. The Hurricanes are 3-3-1 in their last seven games as the visiting team. While there aren’t many positives to draw from with the Hurricanes, they are 16-12 against losing teams this season.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes have won two of three but this is a brief spark in the midst of a long slump. They have just five wins in their last 17 games. Goaltending has been a major issue all season. They Hurricanes have allowed four goals or more in five of their last six games overall, going 2-4-0 in that span. Scott Darling has struggled all season and owns a 3.19 goals-against average. Cam Ward provided a spark for the team earlier in the year but owns a 3.82 goals-against average over the last month.
Carolina will continue to rely on its young forwards to produce as they try to claw their way in to the playoff picture down the stretch. As long as they get some decent goaltending, they should be able to pick up two points in Ottawa on Saturday night.
Ottawa Senators
The Senators will be without two of their best players once again on Saturday night including captain Erik Karlsson and Mark Stone. Ottawa has been outscored 13-4 in back-to-back losses and things could get worse before they get better down the stretch. Goaltending has also been a major issue for the Senators. Craig Anderson has posted a 3.84 goals-against average since February 23rd. Mike Condon has been better over that span but still owns a 3.23 goals-against average on the season. While the players on the roster will want to finish strong, there is no doubt that management in Ottawa has its eye on top NHL Draft prospect Rasmus Dahlin.
The Sens have just four wins in their last 16 games. That makes them tough to trust here.
