Adam Williams presents his prediction for the NHL match.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have thrown themselves fully into the battle for top spot in the Atlantic Division. Riding a four-game winning streak, they’ve swept aside their opponents with a dominant combined score of 23:5. The Ottawa Senators are next in their path.
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators had carved out a respectable lead in the wildcard race, but their recent performances suggest a drop in intensity. Two defeats against struggling Eastern Conference sides — a 0:1 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins and a 2:5 defeat to the Buffalo Sabres — have proved costly for a squad with postseason aspirations. While they still sit five points clear of the New York Rangers, their overall sharpness and drive on the ice seem to hinge on the fitness and form of top scorer Brady Tkachuk (29 goals, 26 assists). He’s currently dealing with an injury and has failed to register a point in four of the last six games.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are showing no signs of letting up. Over the past month, they rank among the top five teams in the league for both shooting percentage (13.15%) and save percentage (90.23%). This kind of balance makes them a nightmare to face — on any given night, opponents are either stonewalled by top-tier goaltending or overwhelmed by an attack led by Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel, and Brandon Hagel. Each has scored at least 33 goals this season, forming one of the most explosive and adaptable forward lines in the NHL.
Ottawa Senators vs Tampa Bay Lightning Prediction
These sides have met three times this season, and each time the Tampa Bay Lightning have put up at least four goals — their offence is in top gear. Considering the Ottawa Senators have suffered two defeats in a week against the Buffalo Sabres, there’s little reason to back them here. We're opting for two selections: an away win and a team individual Total Over.
