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Florida Panthers vs Ottawa Senators: Can Florida finish on top of the East?
The Florida Panthers are visiting the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday.
The Panthers are targeting the top seed in the East
The Florida Panthers are fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 47-24-5 record. They have lost eight of the last 10 games and are coming off a 5-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. The Panthers are second in the league, allowing 2.51 goals per game, and are ranked 14th, scoring 3.20. Sam Reinhart is the best player on the team with 87 points, seven more than Matthew Thachuk.
Another disappointing season for the Senators
The Ottawa Senators are 14th in the Eastern Conference with a 33-37-4 record. After winning five straight games, their longest winning streak of the season, the Senators lost 3-2 to the Minnesota Wild. Ottawa is 15th in the league, scoring 3.18 goals per game, and is ranked 28th, allowing 3.46. Tim Stutzle leads the team with 70 points so far this season.
Betting Trends
The Panthers have won 8 of the last 10 games against the Senators. Florida is 2-8 SU in the last 10 games overall and 1-4 SU in the last 5 games on the road. Ottawa is 5-1 SU in the last 6 games overall and 9-4 SU in the last 13 games against teams from the Atlantic Division.
Prediction and Conclusion
Looking at the standings, the Panthers are way better than the Senators, but the current form is totally different. Recently, the Panthers were on top of the East, but their last three weeks have been very difficult, and now they are fourth in the conference. The Senators had many ups and downs this season, and missing the playoffs for the seventh straight season is a tough pill to swallow. Florida has won seven of the last eight games against Ottawa, including a 5-0 win on the road earlier this season. The Panthers need to wake up and try to get back on top of the conference, and that run will start with a win tonight.
