Ottawa Senators vs Tampa Bay Lightning Picks and Predictions October 19th 2024

Ottawa Senators vs Tampa Bay Lightning October 19th 2024

Betting on today’s Lightning and Senators game? Catch the action at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, as the Senators hosts this showdown at 1:00 ET on ESPN+. In this division matchup, the Lightning are favored by -1.5 against the Senators. The over/under for the game is 6.5 goals.

Tampa Bay vs. Ottawa Key Information

The Lightning moved to 3-0-0 with a 4-3 win over the Golden Knights. Tampa Bay, favored by -1.5 goals, failed to cover the puck line. The total for the game was set at 6 goals, and the 7 combined goals surpassed that mark.

Tampa Bay trailed 3-2 before scoring twice in the third period. Nikita Kucherov’s goal with 0:55 left secured the win. Three different Lightning players contributed to the scoring in this one.

Nikita Kucherov found the net twice in Tampa Bay’s 4-3 victory over Vegas, bringing his season total to six goals. He scored with just 13 seconds left in the first period and then again with 55 seconds remaining in the game.

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Brandon Hagel added his second goal of the season, while Janis Moser opened the scoring for the Lightning, netting his first goal of the year. Moser also picked up his second assist on Kucherov’s game-winner. Tampa Bay took 25 shots on goal but recorded 13 giveaways.

Tampa Bay’s defense allowed the first goal just 5:26 into the opening period and two more by the 1:59 mark of the second. However, they shut down the Golden Knights after that, helping the Lightning secure a 4-3 comeback win. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 22 saves with an 88% save percentage, while the defense added 9 blocks and 2 takeaways.

Ottawa fell to 2-2-0 after a 3-1 loss to the Devils. The Senators entered as underdogs on the puck line, with the total set at 6.5 goals, but the combined score of 4 goals fell short of that mark.

All of Ottawa’s goals came in the third period, with Brady Tkachuk scoring at 18:55. The Devils scored their first goal at 17:21 in the second period.

Brady Tkachuk netted his first goal of the season on a power play, with Claude Giroux earning his first assist and Jake Sanderson picking up his third. The Senators fired 31 shots on goal but only managed to score once, in the third period at the 1:05 mark.

Ottawa struggled with giveaways, recording 16 in the game. They were shut out through two periods before Tkachuk’s late goal.

On the defensive side, the Senators held the Devils scoreless in the first period, but they gave up the first goal just 2:39 into the second. They allowed another at the 13:34 mark of the second, and a third late in the third period, resulting in a 3-1 loss. Anton Forsberg made 32 saves with a 91.4% save percentage, while the defense added 4 takeaways and 27 hits.

When it comes to a moneyline wager, I’m going with the Lightning to defeat the Senators while playing on the road. Given the current moneyline odds at -129, I’m placing a wager on the Lightning to win outright.

For my recommended choice in the puck line, I’m leaning towards the Senators to cover. Even if the Lightning secure a straight-up win, this game is expected to be tightly contested, and the Senators should cover the puck line.

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 6.5 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering on the over.

Unbeaten Lightning Open Road Trip Against Senators

The Tampa Bay Lightning will look to keep their perfect start intact and extend their winning streak to four games as they open a three-game road trip against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday afternoon. Tampa Bay comes into this contest after a strong opening stretch that includes wins against top-tier competition and standout performances from key players.

Lightning Riding High on Early Success

Tampa Bay began their 2024 campaign in impressive fashion with a 4-1 victory on the road against the Carolina Hurricanes. They followed that up with another solid 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, and on Thursday, they capped off a brief two-game homestand with a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights.

In the win over Vegas, Nikita Kucherov shined brightly, scoring two goals, including the game-winner with just 55 seconds remaining in regulation. Kucherov’s hot start to the season has been critical to the Lightning’s success, as he already has six goals in the team’s first three games, tying a franchise mark held by Chris Kontos for most goals through the Lightning’s first three games of a season.

“First of all, it was two very good hockey teams playing a game,” said Lightning head coach Jon Cooper. “But I thought we started to push in the second period, and we pushed in the third. The big difference between tonight and our previous two games is we really managed the puck.”

Defenseman Victor Hedman has also been a major contributor, registering four assists in the first three games. Tampa Bay’s ability to balance solid defense with explosive offense has made them one of the NHL’s toughest teams to beat early on.

Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has been stellar in net, going 3-0-0 with a 1.67 goals-against average (GAA) and a .932 save percentage through three starts. He’ll be looking to build on that strong performance against an Ottawa team that he’s faced 16 times in his career, going 10-6-0 with a 3.07 GAA and .895 save percentage.

Senators Looking to Bounce Back at Home

Meanwhile, the Ottawa Senators will look to rebound from a 3-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night. Despite a solid effort from goaltender Anton Forsberg, who made 32 saves, the Senators couldn’t overcome New Jersey’s defensive stronghold. Brady Tkachuk broke up the Devils’ shutout bid with just 65 seconds remaining, scoring the Senators’ lone goal.

“I thought we had a lot of the game that I liked, but I thought there were a few moments where we got away from our game, and they stuck with their game a little longer,” said Ottawa head coach Travis Green after the game. “It’s a fine line between winning and losing in the league, especially when two good teams are playing.”

The Senators will be without defenseman Artem Zub, who missed Thursday’s game due to a concussion and is expected to be out for at least a week. Zub’s absence will test Ottawa’s depth on the blue line as they try to contain Tampa Bay’s high-powered offense.

Ottawa has shown flashes of potential, particularly in their home victories over Florida and Los Angeles earlier in the season. The Senators are 2-1-0 on home ice so far this year and will look to close out this three-game homestand on a positive note before heading on the road.

Center Tim Stutzle leads Ottawa with three goals, while Tkachuk has contributed five assists and six points through the first four games. Their offensive production will be key if Ottawa hopes to hand the Lightning their first loss of the season.

Goaltender Linus Ullmark is expected to be in net for Ottawa. Ullmark is 1-1-0 with a 2.58 GAA and a .914 save percentage this season. He’ll be looking for a better performance against Tampa Bay after going 5-7-1 with a 2.92 GAA and .903 save percentage in 13 career games against the Lightning.

Key Storylines to Watch

The Lightning enter Saturday’s game on a high, with standout performances from Kucherov and Vasilevskiy leading the way. Tampa Bay’s ability to manage the puck and capitalize on their scoring chances has been pivotal in their unbeaten run. However, they’ll need to keep up the intensity as they begin their first road trip of the season, with the Senators eager to bounce back from their recent loss.

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For Ottawa, defensive discipline and the ability to limit turnovers will be key to slowing down the Lightning’s potent attack. The absence of Zub could be a challenge, but the Senators will look to their young stars, like Stutzle and Tkachuk, to keep them competitive in what promises to be a tough matchup.

Series Outlook

This will be the first of four meetings between the Atlantic Division rivals this season. Last year, the Senators won three of four games against the Lightning, and they’ll hope to build on that success as they look for their third home win of the season. Following Saturday’s game, the teams will meet again in February for back-to-back contests in Tampa Bay before concluding their season series in Ottawa on April 3.

With two talented teams vying for early season momentum, Saturday’s game should provide an exciting showcase of high-paced, physical hockey.