Buffalo Sabres vs Ottawa Senators Prediction, 1/1/2023 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Buffalo Sabres vs Ottawa Senators

Date: Sunday, January 1, 2023

Location: Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON

TV: TSN5

The Ottawa Senators (16-16-3) will take on the Buffalo Sabres (17-14-2) at Canadian Tire Centre on Sunday.

The Buffalo Sabres were on the right side of the scoreboard with a 6-3 victory over the Red Wings in their previous contest . Buffalo accounted for 6 penalty minutes in this outing. The Sabres had a solid offensive performance and it showed in the victory. Furthermore, they had 5 power play attempts and were able to score 1 goal. For the matchup, they scored on 6 out of the 35 shots they put on goal.

Buffalo Sabres opponents have totaled 112 power play tries (17th in pro hockey) and have notched 30 goals in those attempts. The Sabres so far have had 1,083 shots tried against them and have a save percentage of .897. Buffalo has attempted 1,063 shots and holds a shooting percentage of 12.4%. When at even strength, the Sabres have allowed the opponent to score 82 goals while scoring 95 of their own. Buffalo has tallied 126 power play opportunities and they have added 37 goals out of those attempts, garnering them a rate of 29.37%. For the season, they have tallied 36 points and their points % is .545. When it comes to their goal scoring prowess, the Buffalo Sabres have accounted for 132 goals (3rd in hockey) over the course of the season and have allowed 112.

The man in goal for this game is Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. From the beginning of his pro career to now, Luukkonen is sitting with 9 quality starts and his percentage for quality starts is .391. His save percentage is .903 during his 1,320 minutes guarding the cage. Luukkonen has seen 742 shots taken against him and has recorded 670 total saves. Opponents have tallied 72 goals against Luukkonen in his professional career and his goals against average is 3.27. He has a mark of 9-11-3 and was named the starter in 23 games. Luukkonen has played in 23 matchups over the course of his hockey career.

In their last game, Ottawa faced the Capitals in a matchup where the Senators notched a win by a final score of 4-3. They had 1 opportunity on the power play in this game but weren't able to notch a goal. The Senators had 4 goals out of the 45 shots on goal they were seeking.

Ottawa has taken 1,174 shots (11th in the league) and has a shot percentage of 9.03%, while allowing their opponents 1,144 shots. They have recorded a penalty kill rate of 80.65% on the other teams 124 power play chances, and their save percentage comes in at 90.3%. They have earned 132 power play chances and they have a power play rate of 28.03%. The Senators have 69 goals at even strength and 37 goals (2nd in the NHL) while on the power play. They have allowed 111 goals to be scored by way of 87 goals at even strength and 24 goals while they were shorthanded. This season, the Ottawa Senators have tallied 106 goals, 35 points, in addition to a points percentage of .500.

On the other side of the ice you will find Anton Forsberg in net. Forsberg has accrued a career mark of 42-54-11 and has played in 119 games. Forsberg's percentage of quality starts is 54.1% and he has 59 quality starts in his NHL career. He has accounted for 3,186 stops out of 3,505 shots attempted, which gives him a save % of .909. His opposition is averaging 3.06 goals per game and he has surrendered 319 goals in total. He has been a starter 109 games and his ice time sits at 6,261 mins.

Who will win tonight's NHL game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony's Pick: Take Buffalo

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