Media by Associated Press – Ottawa Senators forward Mathieu Joseph skates with the puck during an NHL hockey game against the Seattle Kraken, Thursday, March 9, 2023, in Seattle. The Senators won 5-4. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
Mondays are usually a light day on the NHL schedule. While there is still about a month left before the Stanley Cup playoffs start, teams can’t afford to start making their move now if they haven’t already. With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the interesting matchups to bet on for Monday.
Ottawa Senators at Pittsburgh Penguins (-165)
The Pittsburgh Penguins are clinging to the last Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins are returning home on a three-game losing streak, which included two losses to the New York Rangers and a devastating loss to the lowly Canadiens.
The Penguins have struggled defensively as of late. Pittsburgh has defenseman Marcus Pettersson, Jeff Petry, and Jan Rutta listed as day-to-day on the injury report. The Penguins will be matched up with an Ottawa side clinging to postseason hopes.
The Senators are good at their power play and score 3.13 goals per game. Pittsburgh will score a narrow victory. The Penguins’ veteran core will pull things together because they will need to in order to keep the franchise’s long playoff streak alive.
Florida Panthers (-182) at Detroit Red Wings
The Panthers are only one point behind Pittsburgh in the playoff race and are 7-2-1 over their last ten games. Florida has once again put forward a strong effort on offense. The Panthers take 37 shots on goal per game and score an average of 3.48 per contest.
However, Florida has had its share of defensive issues, allowing 3.36 goals per game. Detroit has taken a step forward during its rebuilding process but still isn’t ready to make noise in the Eastern Conference. The Red Wings have had a hard time scoring, only putting up 2.93 goals per game.
Ville Husso has backstopped a majority of the games this season for Detroit. Husso has a 2.97 goals-against average, and a .901 save percentage. Florida will put some serious pressure on Pittsburgh and grab a victory.
Chicago Blackhawks at Colorado Avalanche over 6
The Avalanche have rounded back to their form from last season. Colorado has won five straight games, including three games in which the Avalanche scored five or more goals. The Avalanche has seen over going 5-4-1 over the past ten games.
While Chicago is playing out the string on this season, the Blackhawks have been showing spunk against tough teams recently. The Blackhawks recently scored six goals against the Boston Bruins. Teams have found that it is possible to get off good looks against Chicago this season.
The Blackhawks allow 3.51 goals per game. Colorado scores 3.25 goals per game and converts 24.4 percent of its opportunities on the power play. Chicago also allows its opponents to put 34 shots per game on net.
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