The Ottawa Senators will look to bounce back in Game 2 after a 2–0 shutout loss in Saturday’s series opener versus the Carolina Hurricanes, with the latest Senators vs. Hurricanes odds tilting toward Carolina in a matchup defined by lockdown defense and low‑scoring hockey.
The narrative that things get much tighter in the postseason has certainly come to fruition thus far, as the first seven games of the playoffs have averaged just 5.28 combined goals, while all of those games have featured fewer than two goals in the first period.
Game 2 of this series between two defensive juggernauts seems to be a good time to ride with that trend, as we will outline below, as well as the relevant betting notes for both teams.
Senators vs. Hurricanes best bet
First Period Under 1.5 Total Goals -110 (Play to -115)
First period under 1.5 goals
Game 1 was a notably low-event matchup overall, while the first period, in particular, was a complete slog, with just 12 combined shots on goal.
Despite not carrying much of the overall play, the Senators did do a fairly good job of limiting the Hurricanes’ true grade “A” scoring chances, particularly at even strength. While that is one positive for the team, Ottawa generated only 1.31 expected goals in even-strength play, and in that regard the analytics did seem accurate.
Carolina allowed only 2.47 xGA/60 at even strength following the Olympic break and just 20.91 shots against per 60. It ratcheted up the urgency level in Game 1 and only required Frederik Andersen to make a handful of truly strenuous saves, and Andersen was sharp when needed.
The Senators have also been elite defensively this season, and though they were unable to drive a ton of possession in Game 1, there strong defensive structure was still a strength. It seems likely that we will continue to see a lot of chip and chase in this series, and both teams forwards continuing to support the middle of the ice well to help prevent truly threatening looks.
While Linus Ullmark’s form does feel like a concern, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see Ottawa generate a little more offence in Game 2, a price of -110 for the first period to feature less than two goals still seems quite appealing given just how much of a chess match the early portion of Game 1 was.
Senators vs. Hurricanes Odds
| Senators moneyline odds | +125 |
| Hurricanes moneyline odds | -150 |
| Puck Line odds | Senators +1.5 (-205), Hurricanes -1.5 (+170) |
| Series odds | Hurricanes (-300), Senators (+240) |
| Game total | Over 5.5 goals (-130), Under 5.5 (+110) |
Odds courtesy of bet365.
Betting Ottawa Senators
The betting prices on sides for Game 2 have stayed the same as they were in Game 1, which seems fair given the way the game was contested. The Senators had a solid start to the game and had some legitimate chances to go ahead early, but seemed to wear down as the game wore on, and did shoot themselves in the foot with some needless penalties.
It certainly did not help matters that Artem Zub was injured just 3:27 into the second period, forcing the Senators to attempt to survive in an ultra-fast-paced game with only five defenders. Zub is considered to be a game-time decision Monday and would be a notable loss if he were unable to play.
Whether Zub is able to play or not, at least having a sixth defender in the lineup should help Ottawa’s defensive core hang in more respectably.
Ottawa will need more from Brady Tkachuk in this series in order to succeed as underdogs. Tkachuk got things started with a fight versus Jordan Staal and brought plenty of physicality but registered just two shots and a lacklustre offensive performance. Tkachuk’s nose for the net and ability to drive pucks into dirty areas will likely be critical given the way Carolina will defend the rush in this series.
The Senators will also need to receive a better performance from the third line of Shane Pinto, Michael Amadio, and Nick Cousins. They formed one of the best depth lines in the NHL this season, but were widely outplayed in Game 1, particularly in minutes against Logan Stankoven’s trio.
Ullmark will likely get the start in goal after stopping 27 of 29 shots in Game 1. By no means was it an overly poor performance, but both of Carolina’s goals were fairly ugly, and the Senators did seemingly do a fairly good job of preventing unpressured shots in key areas of the ice.
Betting Carolina Hurricanes
Aside from what was a cagey first period, Saturday’s showing was a trademark performance from the Hurricanes, who slowly imposed their will shift after shift as the game wore on. Carolina did an excellent job of shrinking the ice and making it very tough for the Senators to generate anything through the middle of the ice.
The Hurricanes did waste numerous power play opportunities when they could have truly put the game on ice, and odds are the Senators can do a better job of limiting some of the needless penalties that were taken in Game 1.
While the Hurricanes did generate a strong number of shots from the interior, there weren’t many looks coming following a pass that forced east-west movement from Ullmark, and it does seem as though Carolina’s overall offensive process was overvalued analytically speaking, something that has often been true in recent postseasons.
By no means is that knocking what the Hurricanes accomplished, though. They were deserving winners, and while it’s a take that will be widely disagreed with, we believe they are the team most likely to represent the Eastern Conference.
Whether that take ultimately proves to be an embarrassment or not will likely hinder upon if Andersen and or Brandon Bussi can provide league-average play in goal. Andersen was not asked to do much in Game 1, but as noted, he was sharp when needed.
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