Ottawa vs. Tampa Bay: NHL Match Prediction

Current form

Ottawa is in tenth place in the Eastern Conference, but at the start of the season it can easily improve its position for better or worse. The team has not yet been able to find stability, and it alternates victories with defeats. Let us recall that after the defeat from Montreal (1:4) and returning to the home arena, the Canadians played two more games. In one of them they proved their superiority over Los Angeles (8:7 OT), but in the next match they could not cope with New Jersey and lost with a score of 1:3.

In the last encounter, the "devils" simply did not allow the Canadians to play their favorite hockey on the counter courses, so the hosts were left with only one goal, which they scored literally a minute before the final siren. However, if the attack issue is not so acute, then in defense, Ottawa constantly experiences serious problems and is counting entirely on the ideal game performed by the goalie.

By the way, Travis Green team played in the same way last season, so no major changes have happened since then. In addition, the key defender, Artem Zub, who had previously appeared in Ottawa first line, suffered a concussion in the match with the Kings. Without him, things will probably get even worse in defense.

Disqualifications and injuries

Greig, Highmore, Ullmark and Tooth will not take part in the upcoming duel.

Interesting trends for betting

• Ottawa averages 8.25 penalty minutes per game.

The Senators are not known for their discipline in the first games and often get penalties.

• Statistically, the Senators are taking 32 shots on goal.

The Canadians rely entirely on attack and try to spend a lot of time in the offensive zone.

Current form

Over the past few years, Tampa has taught its fans that it is one of the leaders of the Eastern Conference and easily makes it to the playoffs. This year, the Lightning can also please their fans with a beautiful game. They have successfully started the new season and have already managed to win three victories in a row. On the road, the team confidently dealt with Carolina (4:1), and with the support of the home stands, they beat Vancouver (4:1) and Vegas (4:3). It is noteworthy that in all three cases, the Bolts scored exactly four goals.

It should be noted that Andrei Vasilevskiy is also in great shape, having to make more than 20 shots in almost every game. Of course, we can't help but mention Nikita Kucherov, who started off very strong and became the league top scorer in just three games, scoring six goals.

Overall, Tampa is one of the most balanced clubs in the league, as it has a strong attack line and manages to work well in defense. Also, the Lightning have always played well at home, so it is likely that they will earn most of their points in front of their home stands.

Disqualifications and injuries

Tampa Bay has no roster issues at the moment.

Interesting trends for betting

• Statistically, Tampa Bay receives 7.33 penalty minutes.

Tampa Bay has been breaking the rules quite often in simple situations so far.

• The Lightning are 7-1 in goals scored and allowed in the third period.

Tampa Bay plays strong in the third period and constantly adds to the score at the end.