Dallas Stars @ Ottawa Senators - January 12, 2025

Well, folks, here we are again, ready to dive into another electrifying matchup in the NHL! This time, the Dallas Stars are headed north to face off against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. As a die-hard Stars fan, I can’t help but feel giddy about this one. Let’s break it down!

First off, let’s look at how these teams have been performing lately. The Stars come into this game riding an impressive seven-game winning streak and sitting comfortably with a record of 27-13-1. Meanwhile, our friends from Ottawa have had a bit of a rough patch with only one win in their last five games (20-18-3 overall). You can see that disparity on the ice – Dallas has solidified itself as a contender while Ottawa is still trying to find its footing.

When it comes to scoring, Dallas leads the charge with an average of 3.3 goals per game compared to Ottawa’s 2.9. The Stars not only shoot more often (30.8 shots per game) but also have a better shooting percentage at 11.1%. On the other hand, Ottawa is managing just under three power play goals per game but with a respectable power play percentage of 24.6%. However, they’re likely going to need every ounce of luck to compete against this fired-up Dallas squad.

Defensively, both teams boast decent save percentages – Dallas with a slight edge at 90.7% compared to Ottawa’s 89.6%. The Stars also excel on the penalty kill with an 84.5% success rate versus Ottawa’s 78.5%. If you ask me, when it comes down to crunch time during critical moments in the game where special teams matter most, that advantage could be key for the Stars.

So what does all this mean for Sunday’s showdown? With oddsmakers opening up at -149 moneyline favorites for Dallas and an over/under set at just 5.5 goals, I think we can expect a tightly contested affair but ultimately favoring our boys in green.

Here’s my prediction: I firmly believe that the Dallas Stars will take this game and extend their winning streak to eight! They’ll cover that spread easily against struggling Ottawa who just isn’t firing on all cylinders right now. Expect some solid defense from both sides leading us toward yet another low-scoring battle – so I’d go ahead and bet on the under for total goals scored as well.

Strap on your lucky jerseys and grab those snacks because it’s going to be another thrilling night of hockey! Go Stars!