NHL Hockey Free Predictions: Penguins vs Senators – Game Four
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Team Records:
Ottawa: 44-32-6
Pittsburgh: 47-28-7
Tonight, 7:30 p.m. ET
Sportsbook odds: Penguins: -145
Senators: +125
Penguins vs. Sens Preview – Penguins lead series 2-1
It’s safe to say Ottawa poked the bear when it stole Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarter-final from the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Sidney Crosby took the Pens on his back to even the series in Game 2 and the Senators never led in Game 3, fading away in a 4-2 loss.
Is Pittsburgh about to take a stranglehold or is this series destined to sway back and forth?
In many ways, 2009-10 was a tale of two seasons for the Ottawa Senators. In the early going, Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza weren’t the go-to guys Ottawa needed them to be offensively and the team struggled as a result. In the second half, both players exploded and were big factors in Ottawa’s push to the postseason.
Early in the series against the Penguins, however, Alfredsson and Spezza have regressed. Neither player has a goal through three games and that just won’t cut it against a star-studded squad like Pittsburgh.
On the goaltending side, Marc-Andre Fleury predictably rebounded from his awful Game 1 to stop 39 of 42 shots in the next two games en route to two victories.
This is how Fleury ticks; for every stinker, he adds several stellar performances and is usually good enough for his team to win a series in the long run.
He’s settled into a rhythm again.
Senators starting goalie Brian Elliott is also taking the pressure off Fleury. He’s new to the playoffs and it’s showed so far, as he’s allowed four goals in two of three games. More importantly, he hasn’t stolen a game or even made a few clutch saves at key moments. When you look at the other underdogs making waves in the playoffs, what’s the common theme?
Craig Anderson, Pekka Rinne, Ilya Bryzgalov – the goalies are overachieving, stealing games.
Now that Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and company are in the driver’s seat, they’re not likely to take their feet off the gas. For the Sens to keep this series competitive, Elliott will have to stand on his head.
Also, the Sens’ top offensive players have to be just that; Ottawa will go nowhere if Alfredsson and Spezza don’t contribute. But, hey, if you’ve been a Sens fan for the last decade, you’ll know that seeing your stars disappear in crunch time is nothing new.
I expect a spirited effort from the Sens in a virtual must-win game tonight. However, we can’t underestimate the killer instinct of a Penguins team that has won seven of its last eight playoff series.
Pick Pittsburgh to grind out a victory tonight in a close one.
NHL Betting Trends:
Pittsburgh is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Ottawa
Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh’s last 6 games when playing Ottawa
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Ottawa’s last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Pittsburgh’s last 8 games
Ottawa is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ottawa’s last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
Ottawa is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
NHL Playoff Betting – Penguins vs Senators Game 4 Pick
Penguins -145
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