Face-off: 1900 ET, 17/02/2022
Arena: KeyBank Center
Buffalo and Ottawa split wins in two encounters in Canada last month and we feel tonight’s meeting at KeyBank Center could go either way.
The Sabres are coming off a couple of victories over moderate opposition, but the Senators have claimed more notable scalps in a run of five wins from nine outings.
Assessing the NHL odds on offer, we reckon 2.0 for Ottowa to oblige on the money line is the way to go.
Win up to $100 in cash with our Free to Play NHL predictions promotion!
Buffalo Sabres Odds
Buffalo bounced back from a hat-trick of defeats by beating Montreal 5-3 and then accounted for the New York Islanders 6-3.
Jeff Skinner scored four times against the Canadiens, while Victor Olofsson ended a 30-game drought with a double here on Tuesday.
However, the Sabres were flattered by that latest scoreline, as they only went 4-3 ahead with 2:55 left in the third period.
Head coach Don Granato was happy to focus on the final flourish, stating: “That was exactly what we needed.
“They scored a goal to tie it up in the third, then our guys elevated their compete, elevated their intensity and desire to win, and that was phenomenal to see.”
We haven’t quite been convinced by those two triumphs, though, and need to see more solid evidence before siding with Buffalo.
In what should be a close contest, we like 11.5 for a 3-2 away win in our Buffalo Sabres vs Ottawa Senators predictions.
Ottawa Senators Odds
Ottawa can be forgiven for finding St Louis too hot to handle in Tuesday’s 5-2 home defeat.
“The way they play in the zone, they don’t throw pucks away, they hold on, they grind you,” said Senators coach DJ Smith.
“Two years ago, they won the Stanley Cup playing that exact style and that’s what you want to do. You want to be able to wear people down.”
However, a young Ottawa outfit hit by quite a few injuries were more competitive than the scoreline suggests.
They almost tied things up at 3-3 early in the third period when Tim Stutzle hit the post.
The Senators were without forwards Josh Norris, Drake Batherson, Colin White and Shane Pinto, plus defenseman Thomas Chabot.
Losing goalie Matt Murray late on was another worry, but key figures Brady Tkachuk and Connor Brown can help to keep spirits up.
Sticking with the theme that this will be a tight tussle, 2.7 for the scores to be level after the first period is added to our NHL predictions.
Additional stats
Last result:
BUFFALO 6-3 NY Islanders
OTTAWA 2-5 St Louis
Head-to-head: Ottawa 5-0 Buffalo, Ottawa 1-3 Buffalo
