NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Senators vs. Bruins (February 20)

Senators vs. Bruins Odds

The Ottawa Senators have won three of their past four contests and scored seven goals en route to a 7-2 win on home ice Sunday. Tonight, they are playing the second half of a back-to-back in a building that has been very difficult to win in, as they head to Boston to take on the Bruins.

The Bruins have been hot as well, coming into this game on a three-game winning streak.

Both teams have been scoring goals as of late, so I have my eye on the total.

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Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators absolutely smoked the St. Louis Blues on Sunday thanks to some big performances from their star players. Brady Tkachuk, Alex DeBrincat and Tim Stutzle each had three points in that contest. Tkachuk and DeBrincat both had a goal and an assist, while Stutzle tallied two goals and an assist.

The Senators top six has been on fire in their past five games, especially the first line consisting of Tkachuk, Stutzle and Claude Giroux. In this five-game span, Tkachuk has four goals and five assists, Stutzle has four goals and six assists and Giroux has two goals and two assists.

The second line has looked great as well. DeBrincat has tallied two goals and five assists, Shane Pinto has scored two goals with three assists and Drake Batherson has added two goals with two assists.

As a team, the Senators have been a very strong offensively, combining for 19 goals in their past five games. They come into this game with the league's third-best power play unit, converting at a 26.1% rate.

Ottawa's goaltending has been a massive issue because Cam Talbot and Anton Forsberg are both out with injuries. Mads Sogaard is expected to get the start in the blue paint, but I have a feeling Ottawa will go with Kevin Mandolese since Sogaard played Sunday. Neither goalie has had much experience this season. Sogaard has started four games and Mandolese has started just once.

The Senators will have their work cut out for them, but they have been able to defeat the Bruins twice this season. However, this will be their first trip to TD Garden.

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins have absolutely exploded offensively in the past two games, scoring 11 total goals and outscoring their opponents 11-2. Jake DeBrusk returned to the lineup and made his presence known right away by scoring a power play goal.

Boston has been getting contributions from throughout the entire lineup and that's what makes them so dangerous. The Bruins are the second-best offense in the league, scoring 3.73 goals per game, and are skating to the seventh-best power play, which is converting at a 24.3%. Their power play has now converted in two games in a row, and they are hoping to carry that momentum into this battle.

The Bruins have had what is arguably the best goalie tandem in the league between Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman, but in the previous two meetings against the Senators, Ottawa was able to tally nine goals.

Senators vs. Bruins Pick

The Ottawa Senators goaltending cannot be trusted right now because of a lack of experience. The team is also playing the second night of a back-to-back and its third game in four nights, so Boston should be able to take advantage.

The Bruins are incredibly scary on home ice and if the Senators are going to compete, their offense is going to have to show up once again, as it has recently.

If the Senators top six forwards can keep up the offensive production, this game should be a barn burner. Boston can definitely put the puck in the net, but let's see if Ottawa can match them. I like the over.

Pick: Over 6.5

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