Lightning Can Move Over .500 on the Road
These teams are consistent in totally different ways. The Tampa Bay Lightning find a way to play their best hockey heading into the playoffs and they have plenty of trips to the Stanley Cup Finals to prove that point. The Ottawa Senators typically find themselves planning for next season as spring arrives.
Ottawa is 1-5-1 over the last seven games and that is not an ideal way to make a push for a playoff spot. Tampa Bay seemed to be getting hot at the perfect time with three wins in a row. However, the Lightning followed up a loss to New Jersey by falling to the lowly Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. Tampa Bay not only outshot Montreal 33-20, but had another 20 shots blocked.
These are two of the more dangerous teams in the NHL on the power play. Ottawa is second in the league in power-play goals per game. Tampa Bay is third in the NHL in power-play goals per game and power-play percentage, so keep that in mind when it comes time to make NHL picks.
When looking at some of the NHL news, the last thing Ottawa needed was an issue with another goalie. Anton Forsberg is out for the season while Cam Talbot is not expected back until next month. Dylan Ferguson, one of six goalies with a win for Ottawa this season, is dealing with an illness. The Senators will be without wingers Mathieu Joseph and Parker Kelly.
Tampa Bay is about as healthy as it has been all season long..
According to the NHL playoff odds, the Lightning (+1600) are eighth in the odds to win the Stanley Cup title. The Senators are well back at +25000 in the championship odds.
Making his Point
After five straight games without a goal, Brayden Point finally ended that drought with one of Tampa Bay’s two goals in the loss to Montreal.
The goal was his 44th of the season, three more than his previous career-high. The big issue with Point in recent years has been availability as he has missed 58 games over the last three regular seasons He is one of four Tampa Bay players to appear in all 72 games so far this season.
Nikita Kucherov recently hit the 100-point mark and captain Steven Stamkos is putting up more than a point per game for the 11th time in his 15 NHL seasons, all with the Lightning. However, Point’s importance to the Lightning’s quest for another run to the Stanley Cup finals can’t be understated. Among the players with at least 40 goals this season, only the Edmonton Oilers’ duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have won more faceoffs.
The Las Vegas odds total has gone over in six of Tampa Bay’s last eight games at Ottawa.
Fighting to the Bitter End
Ottawa’s games typically are not boring. Each of the last four games played by the Senators have been decided by one goal.
In a recent shootout loss to Toronto, Brady Tkachuk scored with 11 seconds left in the third period as the Senators did pick up a point despite trailing by two goals midway through the third period. Tkachuk scored his 29th and 30th goals of the season to force overtime.
Drake Batherson scored with 2:09 left to give the Senators the 2-1 win against a Pittsburgh team that is also trying to get into the playoffs.
Drake. Is. CLUTCH! 🚨#GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/G9W33Y02Xa
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) March 21, 2023
Ottawa began the season by going 1-4-1 in the first six one-goal games in which the Senators played. Since then the Senators are 13-3-4 in one-goal affairs.
The NHL betting lines total has gone over in 10 of Ottawa’s last 14 games.
Lightning vs Senators Game Injuries
Lightning vs Senators Head-to-Head
Tampa Bay has won six of the last seven meetings with Ottawa, and that includes a 4-3 win on Nov. 1 as Nikita Kucherov had a goal and two assists. The Lightning outshot the Senators 34-15 in the game and the eight power-play opportunities for the host Lightning certainly played a role in the lopsided shot total.
Ottawa’s last win in the series did come at home in 2021. However, the Lightning has won five of the last seven road games against the Senators.
Five of the last seven games in the series finished over the total.
Lightning vs Senators Game Information
- Game: Lightning (42-24-6) vs Senators (34-32-5)
- Location: Canadian Tire Center, Ottawa
- Day/Time: Thursday, March 23, 7 p.m. ET
- Lightning vs Senators Live Stream: NHL.TV
Lightning vs Senators Betting Lines
Lightning vs Senators Picks and Prediction
Tampa Bay probably won’t be a barrel of laughs to play against following a loss to Montreal. There is an upcoming game for the Lightning against the NHL-leading Boston Bruins, and had Tampa Bay not squandered the two points against the Canadiens, this might be viewed as a trap game. It seems rather safe to assume that the Lightning will be ready to make sure it doesn’t drop back-to-back games against teams out of the current playoff structure.
Ottawa is playing its way right out of the playoff picture and if it is not already must-win time for the Senators, it is getting pretty close to that point.
The Lightning is 37-20-6 when listed by the sportsbook as the favorite. Ottawa is 11-24-4 as the underdog. Ottawa is 21-14 against the spread at home. Tampa Bay has covered in just 13 of its 35 road games.
The Tampa Bay Lightning is listed at -145 in our Las Vegas hockey odds. This means that if you wager $100 on the Lightning, you have a chance to win $69. Ottawa is +125, offering a chance to win $125 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Tampa Bay Lightning a 59.18% chance to win, with the Ottawa Senators at 44.44%.
Lightning vs Senators Trends
Lightning vs Senators Edge
Lightning vs Senators Results
Lightning vs Senators Game Summary
