Senators vs. Hurricanes Game 1 predictions: NHL odds, best bets, picks for Stanley Cup Playoffs
You can set your clock to the Carolina Hurricanes.In the playoffs for the eighth year on the spin under Rod Brind’Amour, the Canes won the Metropolitan Division for the third time in the last five seasons, and they hit the 110-point mark for the fourth time in the last five campaigns.In a wide-open Eastern Conference, you’d think this would be the best opportunity for the Canes to finally make their way back to the Stanley Cup Finals, but there is a fly in the ointment.Carolina’s opponent in Round 1, the Ottawa Senators, is one of the hottest teams in the playoff field.
The Sens went 16-5-4 in their last 25 games, a run that caused their Stanley Cup odds to crater from 80/1 at the Olympic break to 20/1 ahead of the dance.The Hurricanes are still the favorite, and they’re a deserving one, but the odds for this clash are a lot tighter than the normal No.1 vs.
No.8 matchup.Ottawa’s season was bizarre.
The team boasted one of the best statistical profiles throughout the 82-game campaign, but the results never followed.The culprit was poor goaltending.The Sens simply could not get a save for the first half of the season.
Linus Ullmark took a leave of absence, forcing Ottawa to use five different netminders throughout the campaign.None worked, but Ullmark found his form after the Olympics, posting a .902 save percentage and plus-11 Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx) in his final 19 games.Those aren’t all-world numbers, but they’re certainly solid, and given Ottawa’s dominance at 5-on-5, they are more than strong enough to make the Sens a real threat as long as Ullmark carries his form into the tournament.And while a lot of teams can’t cope with Carolina’s chaotic, throw-everything-at-the-net mentality, the Sens are well-equipped to handle it.
Only two teams (Tampa Bay and Carolina) surrendered fewer shot attempts at 5-on-5 than Ottawa this season, and only three (Vegas, Tampa Bay, and Philadelphia) conceded fewer high-danger scoring chances.By exp...