The Ottawa Senators and Carolina Hurricanes meet in Game 2 of the NHL Playoffs tonight. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. EDT at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
The Hurricanes are favored by -1.5 on the puck line, with the over/under set at 5.5 (-130o / +106u). The Hurricanes are a -152 favorite to win outright, while the Senators are +126 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Senators vs. Hurricanes predictions and NHL picks.
Senators vs. Hurricanes Odds, Pick
| Senators Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -196 | 5.5 -130o / 106u | +126 |
| Hurricanes Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +158 | 5.5 -130o / 106u | -152 |
- Senators vs. Hurricanes Spread: Senators +1.5 (-196), Hurricanes -1.5 (+158)
- Senators vs. Hurricanes Over/Under: 5.5 (-130o / +106u)
- Senators vs. Hurricanes Moneyline: Senators +126, Hurricanes -152
Senators vs Hurricanes Polymarket Odds
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Senators vs. Hurricanes Preview
Ottawa Senators
Ottawa dropped Game 1, but even as the eight seed, the Senators are still capable of making this a tough series.
The Sens led the NHL in xGA/60 this season at 2.67, and it doesn't hurt that they've essentially been in playoff mode for weeks, battling to hold onto the final Wild Card spot down the stretch.
A big story coming out of Game 1 was Artem Zub leaving after one shift in the second period and not returning.
His status for tonight is uncertain, and his absence would be a significant blow. Zub and regular blueline partner Jake Sanderson logged 900 minutes together during the regular season, allowing the seventh-fewest xGA/60 among 191 pairings with at least 200 minutes played.
On the other side of the ice, Ottawa will obviously need to find the back of the net after getting shutout, but the talent to do so is there. The Senators finished top-10 in GF this season and third in xGF%.
In net, Linus Ullmark was a concern for much of the year with a -12.1 GSAx. He's been much sharper lately, posting a .914 SV% and 2.48 GAA over his last 10 games and a .926 SV% and 1.83 GAA in April.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Canes owned the NHL's best home record during the regular season at 29-10-2, and that held up in Game 1.
Logan Stankoven kept his hot stretch going with a goal and an assist, pushing his point streak to nine games with seven goals and five assists over that span.
Carolina's two-way dominance was on display as well. The Hurricanes limited Ottawa to just five high-danger chances and 1.31 xGA at 5-on-5 according to Natural Stat Trick, while generating 11 high-danger chances and 3.16 xGF of their own.
They've been near the top of the league on both ends of the ice all season, and if the goaltending holds up the way it did in Game 1, they'll be in a great spot.
That brings us to the crease, where it'll be interesting to see if Rod Brind'Amour stays with Frederik Andersen fresh off of a shutout, or gives Brandon Bussi a look.
Bussi had the better regular season between the two, but experience appeared to win out. Andrei Vasilevskiy is the only netminder in this postseason with more career playoff starts than Andersen, and that certainly showed Saturday.
Andersen has been excellent since the calendar flipped to April, posting a .909 SV% and 2.03 GAA over six starts. His only real dud came against Ottawa in the third-to-last game of the regular season, when he gave up five goals.
Bussi hasn't been quite as sharp in his last six, but he's been serviceable, going 5-0-1 with a .888 SV% and 2.46 GAA.
Senators vs. Hurricanes Prediction
There was little to no space on the ice in Game 1, and that clearly looked like a priority for both sides. Neither team could generate much with the man advantage either, combining to go 0-for-9 on the power play.
For how potent both offenses are, Carolina in particular ranking second in GF/60 (3.49) this season, they're just as impressive at the other end.
Ottawa leads the league in xGA/60 (2.67), while Carolina sits fifth (2.82). The two also ranked first and third in shots on goal allowed this season, with the Senators giving up the fewest high-danger shots.
Goaltending is a question mark on both sides, but each looked sharp in Game 1. I don’t think Ottawa stands much of a chance if this series turns into a track meet on ice, so I expect another low-scoring, tight-checking affair.
Pick: Under 5.5 (+106, FanDuel)
