The Nashville Predators (26-22-1) look to continue their playoff push against the Ottawa Senators (18-25-2) on Monday.
Bookmaker Pinnacle offers odds at +200 for the Predators to win with over 5.5 goals scored in the contest. The odds are at +390 for the visitors to triumph in a low-scoring game with under 5.5 goals.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: January 28th, 9:30 P.M. (EST)
With Ottawa slumping and sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, Nashville should look at this match-up as almost a must-win game, especially after going through a bit of a tough time lately. Andrew Brunette has seen his side suffer four defeats in six games, and the poor run has left the Predators just outside the wild-card spots in the West.
Nashville has struggled due to its underperforming offense. The team has scored just 10 times in the past six games, and the lack of goals has made it difficult to compete with teams. On Monday, Nashville gets to work on its attack against a side that has allowed the third-most goals in the league (3.67).
The Senators are performing poorly and have been easy prey for most sides over the last couple of months. The team has produced only 10 wins since the start of December, and a coaching change even appears to have backfired, with Ottawa’s goals-against average climbing to four under interim head coach Jacques Martin.
Nashville will be confident of taking advantage of Ottawa’s defensive shortcomings, although the visitors must also produce a quality performance at the back. The Senators average 3.33 goals per game, which puts them just outside the top 10 in scoring average.
There’s a good mix of youth and experience in the attacking department in Ottawa, with 22-year-old Tim Stutzle averaging a point per game through 45 outings with 10 goals and 35 assists and 36-year-old Claude Giroux not far from the pace, sitting on 41 points.
The Predators mostly rely on their top line, while goaltender Juuse Saros will hope to get some consistency. He hasn’t had back-to-back wins since kicking off December with a five-game winning streak. The Predators no. 1 boasts a 19-18-1 overall record for the season, allowing 2.91 goals with a .904 save percentage. However, Saros has pushed his goals-against average below 2.60 in January, which is a great sign for Nashville ahead of the final stretch of the season.
