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Ottawa Senators vs Minnesota Wild: Can Minnesota reach the playoffs?
The Ottawa Senators are visiting the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul on Tuesday.
The Senators have their longest winning streak of the season
The Ottawa Senators are 14th in the Eastern Conference with a 33-36-4 record. They have won the last five games and are coming off a 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets. The Senators are 13th in the NHL, scoring 3.29 goals per game, and are ranked 28th, allowing 3.47 goals per game. Tim Stutzle leads the team with 69 points, four more than Brady Thachuk.
The Wild are with their backs against the wall
The Minnesota Wild are tenth in the Western Conference with a 35-28-10 record. They have lost three of the last four games and are coming off a 2-1 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. The Wild are 18th in the league, scoring 3.03 goals per game, and are ranked two spots lower, allowing 3.15. Kirill Kaprizov leads the team with 82 points so far this season.
Betting Trends
Minnesota has won 11 of the last 13 games against Ottawa and the last six home games against them. The Wild are 2-4 SU in the last six games overall and 10-5 SU in the last 15 games against teams from the Eastern Conference. The Senators are 5-0 SU in the last five games overall and 5-1 SU in the last six games on the road.
Prediction and Conclusion
This is probably the game of the season for the Wild. Minnesota is tenth in the conference and has to be close to perfect in the last nine games of the regular season. They are not playing well lately, losing four of the last six games overall, but they have a reason to be optimistic, at least in this game. The Senators have another disappointing season, and despite winning the last five games, it is too late to save the season. Minnesota has absolutely been dominating Ottawa in recent seasons, and with the playoff spot on the line, the Wild are winning tonight.