Welcome back to NHL Predictions, on this, the day of the Frozen Frenzy. All 32 teams see action, in games with (mostly) equally spaced starting times of 15 minute intervals beginning at 6:00 p.m. Eastern. Today, like everyday, Last Word on Hockey takes a look at the games and we will help get you started on the excitement that is sure to ensue on this Tuesday. The Ottawa Senators will put their 3-2 record on the line, as they travel to visit the Utah Hockey Club for the first time in history. Be sure to check out more NHL predictions as the 2024-25 season wears on.
NHL Predictions
Ottawa Senators at Utah Hockey Club, from the Delta Center
Time: 9:15 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
TV: TSN5, RDS1, ESPN+
2023-24 Regular Season Series: Arizona won (2-0)
The Senators Are Determined to Stay in the Hunt in October
This part of the schedule will be huge for the Ottawa Senators. It won’t be easy, and first, let’s touch on some injury news and notes. A couple of notables that won’t be making the trip include Artem Zub and David Perron. Zub remains out after the big hit from Tanner Jeannot. Also, Perron’s absence was unexpected, but head coach Travis Green simply described it as a personal issue, and hoped he wouldn’t be away from the team for very long. One positive, is the anticipated return of Ridly Greig to the lineup. The extent of his injury had been a question mark, but he is set to play in his third game of the season tonight. Greig likely sustained the injury late in the game against the Montreal Canadiens, and hadn’t played since.
Of course, the other welcoming news for Sens fans, will be the expected presence of Linus Ullmark in the crease. We will add, please check for the very latest news and notes on lineups before setting your fantasy lineups. Moreover, Ullmark hasn’t seen the net in ten days, so the rest should pay off. Thus far in two appearances, his .914 SV% is the type of goaltending Sens fans want to see.
The other thing that Sens fans are liking so far, has been the play of the best players. The Sens top-five point getters are Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Jake Sanderson, Drake Batherson, and Joshua Norris. If the Sens best players are going, it really makes them competitive versus most NHL lineups. Even if Utah is quiet and unassuming, don’t look for that to slow the Sens down.
Utah Looking to Keep the Good Times Rolling
The Utah Hockey Club is off to a hot start, and offence is the reason why. Their 4-1-1 is being powered by six players at a point-a-game pace. Clayton Keller is a veteran leader of the club and has more points (eight) than anyone else on the club. In addition, the youngster Dylan Guenther has been unstoppable and leads Utah with five goals. Finally, another offensive contributor, Nick Schmaltz, leads the squad with seven assists. So, it seems all is well, but if we study the other side of the puck, we quickly see that’s not the case.
Despite their solid record, they are only outscoring opponents 22-20. On top of that, defenceman Sean Durzi is expected to miss four to five months. That will make things difficult on the blueline. Furthermore, in goal, Connor Ingram is hoping a strong first half of the campaign can be parlayed into a Team Canada nod between the pipes for the 4 Nations Face-Off tourney. His 4-0-1 record has him on track for that conversation. However, his .882 SV% would, in all likelihood, eliminate him from contention. Amazingly, Utah has been involved in four overtime games, three of which had nine or more goals combined. So, Sens fans, not too far removed from their own 8-7 slugfest, might want to buckle up for this one.
NHL Predictions: Utah HC and Senators
The Senators really need to stay the course and come out on top of this one. Yes, Utah will be competitive, but with Ullmark in net and the Sens best players having a slight leg up on the opponents, look for Ottawa to take this one.
Prediction: Senators win in regulation, 4-2.
Just to add to the excitement, why not try out picks for a parlay as per Fanduel‘s book. Even though our predicted score is under, going over 6.5 is at -110 might make sense given the recent history of both teams. If you want to roll the dice, Logan Cooley as a first goal scorer at +1900 is the way to go. For a couple of anytime scorers, for Ottawa Josh Norris is at +240 and for Utah, stick with the guy on a heater, Guenther at a conservative +175.
Main Photo: Marc DesRosiers – USA TODAY Sports
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