Date: December 1st, 2024
Time: 8:00 PM ET
Location: Honda Center, Anaheim, CA
The Ottawa Senators visit the Anaheim Ducks tonight at the Honda Centre in a matchup between two teams with similar trajectories this season. The Senators look to regroup after a disappointing loss to the L.A Kings, while the Ducks aim to build momentum on this short home stand they have in front of them.
Team Overview
The Ottawa Senators (10-12-1) have shown flashes of potential but remain inconsistent. They’re coming off a 5-2 loss on the road against the L.A Kings, bringing their record to 2-5-1 in their last eight games. With a potent offense led by captain Brady Tkachuk, they’re aiming to close the gap in the Atlantic Division standings.
The Anaheim Ducks (9-12-1), meanwhile, have struggled again to start this season. They’ve endured three losses in their last 4 games. Losing streaks have been common for the Ducks with the league’s 8th worst goal differential. With a dismal 4-7-1 home record, the Senators do face a tough challenge against a Ducks team that defeated them in 6 of their last 8 meetings going all the way back to the 2020 season.
Key Players to Watch
- Ottawa Senators: Tim Stützle leads the team with 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists), while Brady Tkachuk and Claude Giroux provide additional firepower combining for 43 points this year. Tkachuk’s physicality and scoring ability will be crucial against Anaheim’s struggling defence. If Tkachuck is not thoroughly guarded he could be a real threat on the scoresheet tonight.
- Anaheim Ducks: Troy Terry is the Ducks standout performer with 16 points (6 goals, 10 assists). However, he has struggled to find consistent support from his teammates to aid in the scoring they so desperately need. Goaltender Lukas Dostal, despite facing the league’s 9th most shots (489), he owns a .922 save percentage proving his worth between the pipes. At the end of the year Dostal will need a new contract and he will be looking to be paid appropriately.
Goaltending Matchup
Ottawa’s Linus Ullmark and Anaheim’s Lukas Dostal are expected to start. Ullmark has been unreliable in recent outings, with a .886 save percentage and having only picked up 3 wins in 9 starts this November. For Anaheim, Dostal will look to rebound after falling to the Kraken 3-2 on Nov 25th. His numbers have been solid this year posting a .922 save percentage and 2.72 goals against average, giving the Ducks some much needed goaltending.
Special Teams
Ottawa boasts the 2nd best power play, converting at 28.2%, compared to Anaheim’s 14.9%, which ranks near the bottom of the league. On the penalty kill, these teams are almost dead even with the Senators killing off 76.5% and the Ducks killing off 75% of their penalties. I find the Senators to be more effective with their power play creating chances, a critical factor in tonight’s matchup.
What’s at Stake
For the Senators, securing points against lower ranked teams like Anaheim is vital to stay competitive in the playoff race. The Ducks, while currently out of playoff contention, are looking to build confidence and develop younger players amidst another challenging season. Patience is key right now for the Ducks, but the potential in that lineup is there, they just need to unlock it.
Game Prediction
Given these two teams form and the Ducks strong showing in their previous encounter, Ottawa enters as the “not so clear” favourite. Ottawa can leverage their offensive depth and capitalize on Anaheim’s defensive struggles, but the Ducks have some firepower of their own and with Dostal between the pipes after sitting the last two games he should be well rested. The Senators will look to close out this road trip on a high note, expect a tight matchup here tonight as these two teams are desperate for points at this time in the season.
Get exclusive plays via my discord join today: https://discord.gg/nYuBqc26dh
-BetOnBanana
About the Author
