Ottawa pays a visit to Mika Zibanejad and the New York Rangers

Welcome back to another edition of NHL predictions on this first day of November 2024. Every day our writers here at Final word on hockey Take a look at the games, breaking down the key fixtures and providing relevant analysis on how they could play out. Today we feature the Ottawa Senators as they travel to the Big Apple to take on the New York Rangers. Don't forget to check out all the action as our writers continue our NHL predictions for the entire 2024-25 season.

NHL predictions

Ottawa Senators at New York Rangers, from Madison Square Garden

Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
TV: TSN5, RDS2, ESPN+
2023-24 Regular Season Series Ottawa lost (1-2)

For the Ottawa Senators, the test is still real at the start of the 2024/25 season

It must be a bit tiring for Ottawa. They were on a three-game trip to the Western Conference, but then returned home and then to New York. Combine that with the quality of the opponents, and the Sens know they will likely have to fight for their playoff life for all 82 games.

A few players come into this game for Ottawa and are playing well so far. Drake Batherson is currently on a five-game point streak. In these five games he scored four goals and five assists. Additionally, his lineage of Joshua Norris and Claude Giroux was a pleasant surprise for the Senators. In total, they played together on the ice for over 58 minutes and during that time they outscored their opponents 4-2. Look for them to continue their strong play.

Another player who is playing well for Ottawa so far is the leader in points. Tim Stützle leads the club with 14 points in nine games played. Additionally, he and Batherson are among a number of Sens who have been extremely efficient. The Sens currently have six players with four or more goals. Along with the two mentioned, Giroux, Norris, Brady Tkachuk and Adam Gaudette are the six. Of this group, only Brady Tkachuk has a shooting percentage lower than 26.3%. This isn't sustainable, but it's still remarkable.

What is the history of the New York Rangers?

The Rangers will be confident in one of their most skilled players starting against the Sens. In fact, this player was selected by Ottawa in the first round back in 2011. Mika Zibanejad played his first 281 NHL games for the Ottawa Senators. Now, as we look at this season, Zibanejad could use a spark. He has only provided a total of one assist in the last three games. Look for him to use this game against the Sens as motivation to get fired up.

One player who has been playing well for the Rangers lately is Filip Chytil. His five points in the last four games are a result of his success. Additionally, the Rangers will need offense from multiple sources if they want to be the type of competitive team they expect them to be. If guys like Zibanejad can get going along with Chytil's line, the Rangers will be a much more complete team.

NHL Predictions: Rangers and Senators

This is a matchup for Ottawa to prove they can get in the ring with the big boys. It will be interesting to see if Ottawa can match the Rangers' abilities. Therefore, a win in a game like this will help establish themselves as a playoff-caliber team.

Unfortunately, the Sens are fighting an uphill battle. If we compare an important statistic to understand the effectiveness of the two teams, we can compare the expected goal difference. The Rangers are in seventh place with 3.86. Meanwhile, the Senators are a little further down the list with a value of -0.59 and are in 18th place.

The starting goaltenders cover preventive matchups throughout the Eastern Conference. The two goalies facing each other have won two of the last three Vezina Trophies. Linus Ullmark is choosing the Sens because he will face Igor Sheshterkin. Ullmark was very good in his wins, but not so strong in his losses. If the team in front of him plays like a team, that is definitely a great success. In contrast, Sheshterkin has been quite sharp, along with his 4-2-1 record he has a SV% of 0.923. Give Sheshterkin the advantage, but with Ullmark in place, the advantage won't matter to the outcome of the game.

Prediction: The Rangers win 2-1 in regular time.

According to Fanduel, if we want to add even more excitement to the action, let's check out these tips. First of all, given the quality of the goalkeepers, we like the goal total of under 6.5, which gives a payout of -122. In a tight, low-scoring affair, look for the big players to emerge. Alexis Lafreniere knows a hot start to the 2024-25 season could help him become a Team Canada pick. Be the first scorer tonight and pay a very cool +1500. As for a Sen's all-time goalscorer, go with the newest addition to the top line. Ridly Greig contacts +470.

The current ten best wingers on the Canadian team

Main photo: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

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