Ice Hockey | Thursday, October 27, 2022 9:39 AM

Ottawa Senators vs Minnesota Wild Best Bet: Sens Wrapping Up 5-game Home Stand

Contributor: The Canadian Press / Alamy Stock Photo

US Sports Expert

Ottawa Senators vs Minnesota Wild Best Bet: Thursday, October 27th

The St. Louis Blues return home for the first time since their opening game of the campaign, but it will be a short stay because they’ll head to Nashville for tomorrow night’s game. It’s the first of a back-to-back for both teams, as Edmonton will leave St. Louis for Chicago and lace them up in short order themselves.

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Ottawa Senators vs Minnesota Wild Preview

October 28, 00:00 (UK time)

At the stroke of midnight in the UK, the Senators and Wild will be squaring off at the Canadian Tire Centre where the Senators will be looking to stay perfect at home in search of another win in front of their fans. So far, the fans have been treated to 4 consecutive wins in support of their club, and we expect a rowdy building to be in store for the Wild.

Taking wins at home is crucial to any team’s chances to make the playoffs because this is where you are supposed to take points throughout the campaign. Home ice has been huge for the Senators thus far, and if they take all 10 points from this 5-game home stand it will undoubtedly put everyone in good spirits for the trip to Florida on deck. The Sens will head to the Sunshine State after this outing to face Florida and Tampa Bay before returning home again on November 3.

We escaped with a push on the total the last time Ottawa took the ice against Dallas, but this time I will be offering a play on the home team to wrap up this home stand with a 5th consecutive win. When I saw Ottawa listed at 2.05, I knew right then and there that it would be the play I was going to hit you with today.

I love what Ottawa is doing right now, and that 3rd period against Dallas that produced 3 goals to pull away from the Stars was impressive. I thought we were in some trouble when it was 1 – 1 headed to the 3rd period, but Ottawa came out inspired to keep this run of wins at home going strong.

Not ironically, I mentioned the big 1st line of the Sens in that Dallas preview, and sure enough, the trio provided the first light we needed to push that total when the 3rd period began. Brady Tkachuk found the net with assists from Stutzle & Batherson, and I was hoping a late 2nd-period goal would give them the push they needed.

Ottawa levelled that game at 1 – 1 with about 30 seconds left in the period, and they used that momentum right into the final frame to pull away from the Stats scoring 3 goals in the 4 – 2 win.

Marc-Andre Fleury got the last start for Minnesota against Montreal, and that game was on the NHL Network so I got to see most of it. As you know, Fleury’s GAA is still up there at 3.8 and the .869 save % doesn’t look good on paper either. It is amazing to me how amazing he is, and yet how bad he can look at the same time. I don’t know if it’s focus or ageing that has made him a sub-par netminder in the NHL, but I don’t have enough confidence in him with my hard-earned money to find me a win tonight.