Ottawa Senators @ Carolina Hurricanes - November 16, 2024

As the Ottawa Senators prepare to face off against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center, we can anticipate an intriguing matchup that will showcase contrasting styles and strengths. The Hurricanes enter this game as -189 moneyline favorites, reflecting their solid performance thus far in the season with an 11-4-0 record. Meanwhile, the Senators are looking to bounce back from a tough 5-4 loss against the Flyers, bringing their record to 8-7-1.

Analyzing both teams’ offensive capabilities reveals a significant edge for Carolina. They boast an impressive average of 4 goals per game on 35.2 shots, translating into a shooting percentage of approximately 12.1%. Their corsi percentage stands at a robust 59.9%, indicating strong puck possession and offensive zone time (58.6%). This dominance is complemented by their power play effectiveness, converting roughly 21.6% of opportunities into goals.

On the other hand, Ottawa’s offense has been respectable but not quite as potent, averaging about 3.4 goals per game with a shooting percentage of around 10.7%. Their corsi percentage is slightly lower at 53.9%, which suggests they spend less time in advantageous positions compared to Carolina.

Defensively, both teams exhibit some vulnerabilities but differ in effectiveness; Carolina’s defensive unit boasts an impressive save percentage of nearly 89.4% and an excellent penalty kill rate of approximately 83.6%. In contrast, Ottawa’s defense has allowed more scoring chances with an average save percentage of just under 88.5% and a penalty kill rate that lags behind at about 80%.

Given these statistics and recent trends, I predict that Carolina will emerge victorious in this contest due to their superior offensive firepower and defensive stability at home—where they have gone undefeated against the spread in their last five games.

However, I also believe that Ottawa will manage to cover the spread despite being underdogs in this matchup due to their competitive nature on the road (having covered four out of five recent games). The Senators’ ability to generate offense through their own power play—averaging nearly one goal per game on just over three chances—could keep them within striking distance.

When it comes to total points scored in this matchup, I expect it will exceed six based on both teams’ scoring potential combined with recent performances; Ottawa’s last outing saw nine total goals scored while Carolina’s high-scoring tendencies suggest they could contribute significantly as well.

In summary: look for Carolina to secure a win while Ottawa covers the spread and expect plenty of action leading us toward an OVER outcome for total goals scored tonight!