Buffalo Sabres vs Ottawa Senators Prediction, 12/31/2023 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds
Game: Buffalo Sabres vs Ottawa Senators
Date: Sunday, December 31, 2023
Location: Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON
TV: TSN
Canadian Tire Centre is the location where the Ottawa Senators (13-17-0) will go up against the Buffalo Sabres (14-18-4) on Sunday.
The Buffalo Sabres had a rough game after their 4-1 loss to the Bruins in the last game they played. The Sabres didn't have their best offensive outing in the defeat. For the matchup, they converted 1 out of the 26 shots they tried. Furthermore, they had 6 power play attempts but weren't able to score. Buffalo garnered 10 penalty minutes in this contest.
When at even strength, the Sabres have allowed 99 goals while earning 93 themselves. Buffalo Sabres opponents have earned 115 power play tries (10th in the NHL) and have racked up 25 goals in those attempts. When talking about their scoring capabilities, the Buffalo Sabres have tallied 107 goals (16th in the NHL) over the course of the season and have surrendered 124. Buffalo has taken 1,083 shots and holds a shot percentage of 9.9%. For the current campaign, they have 32 points and their points percentage is .444. The Sabres have had 1,068 shots tried against them and hold a save percentage of .884. Buffalo comes into the game with 105 power play opportunities and they have notched 14 goals out of those attempts, giving them a percentage of 13.33%.
The player between the pipes for this game is Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. The opposition has scored 201 goals versus Luukkonen in his career and his goals against average per game is 3.40. Luukkonen has been in net for 63 games during his professional hockey career. His save percentage is .896 in his 3,545 mins in the crease. He has amassed an overall mark of 26-27-8 and he has started in 59 games. During his career on the ice, Luukkonen has compiled 27 quality starts and his percentage for quality starts is .458. Luukkonen has seen 1,935 shot attempts against him and he has 1,734 saves.
In their last outing, Ottawa faced off against the Maple Leafs in a game where the Senators took home the win by a mark of 4-2. They had 1 power play attempt in this matchup but weren't able to score a goal. The Senators notched 4 goals out of the 30 shots on goal they were seeking.
The Senators are sitting with 82 goals at even strength and 21 goals (20th in the league) while on the power play. Ottawa has tried 973 shots (28th in pro hockey) and has a shooting percentage of 10.59%, while allowing their opponents 925 shots. So far this year, the Ottawa Senators have 103 goals, 26 points, in addition to a points percentage of .433. They have allowed 105 goals to be scored by of a combination of 76 goals at even strength and 29 goals while they had less men on the ice. They have recorded 120 chances on the power play and they have a power play percentage of 17.50%. They have a penalty kill rate of 72.12% on the other teams 104 power play chances, and their save percentage currently sits at 88.6%.
For the opposition you are going to see Joonas Korpisalo patrolling the crease. He has accounted for 6,304 saves out of the 6,981 shots attempted against him, which gives him a save percentage of .903. Korpisalo has a career mark of 101-92-25 and has participated in 241 contests. He was named a starter in 220 games and has played 13,297 minutes. Korpisalo's quality start percentage comes in at 49.1% and he has 108 quality starting assignments in his pro career. His opponents are averaging 3.05 goals per contest and he has given up 677 goals in total.
Who will win tonight's NHL game against the spread or moneyline?
Tony's Pick: Take Buffalo
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Additional Resources:
Ottawa Senators - Twitter
Buffalo Sabres - Twitter