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Game Preview: Ottawa Senators @ Los Angeles Kings
The NHL Regular Season begins with a cross-conference matchup as the Ottawa Senators head west to face the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena. Both teams enter with competitive early-season records, with Ottawa sitting at 11-6-4 and the Kings at 10-7-6. The Ottawa Senators open the year ranked third in the Atlantic Division under head coach Travis Green, while the Los Angeles Kings slot into fourth in the Pacific under Jim Hiller.
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The Senators opened as modest road underdogs at +128 on the moneyline with a puckline of +1.5 (-206). Los Angeles, favored at -150, benefits from home ice and the familiar rhythm of a defensive structure that ranked sixth in goals allowed a season ago. The total opened at 5.5 with early interest on the under. More NHL previews for opening week can be explored through the league’s dedicated NHL previews page.
Odds and Key Information
Early bettors have shown respect for Los Angeles’ defensive metrics and goaltending stability, keeping the Kings as clear favorites. Ottawa’s strong special teams numbers have created interest on the moneyline for a potential road upset, while the total has drawn balanced action due to contrasting team tendencies.
Senators coaches emphasized the importance of maintaining pace and sustaining offensive zone possession after a solid 3-2 win over San Jose. Kings staff highlighted detail and physicality after a narrow 2-1 defeat to Boston, noting that improved finishing should pair well with their defensive reliability.
Ottawa Senators Outlook
Ottawa begins the year with momentum after securing a 3-2 victory over the Sharks. Tim Stützle and Dylan Cozens led the attack with goals, continuing Ottawa’s trend of spreading offensive production across multiple lines. The Senators have built their early-season success on a top-six capable of controlling shifts and a power play that ranks sixth in the league with 16 goals. Their overall physicality, reflected in 492 hits, gives them an edge in transition-heavy matchups.
Goaltender Linus Ullmark remains central to Ottawa’s stability. With 365 saves already this season, Ullmark’s positioning and rebound control remain strong assets. His ability to handle volume has helped the Senators maintain competitiveness in tight games. Depth players like Drake Batherson have stepped up during injuries to key contributors such as Brady Tkachuk. Ottawa’s injury report, including the statuses of Thomas Chabot, Ridly Greig, and Nikolas Matinpalo, remains important to monitor given the potential impact across pairings and special teams configurations.
Ottawa’s ability to generate controlled zone entries and maintain offensive zone time is often tied to its forechecking pressure. With Stützle and Cozens driving pace, the Senators can leverage mismatches against Los Angeles’ middle-six, though finishing consistency remains a key factor. Their defensive zone play has tightened in recent outings, and limiting neutral-zone turnovers will be essential against a Kings team that thrives on transition.
Los Angeles Kings Outlook
The Kings return home looking to bounce back from a narrow defeat to the Bruins. Joel Armia provided the lone goal in a game where Los Angeles generated strong pressure but struggled to finish. Darcy Kuemper stopped 24 of 26 shots and continues to anchor a defensive unit ranked sixth in goals against. Their structure in front of him remains a strength, with the Kings recording 12 hits and 12 blocks in the contest.
Los Angeles ranks 11th in shots on goal with 646 attempts, illustrating their capacity to generate pressure despite up-and-down scoring stretches. Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar continue to lead the offensive charge, combining for 32 points and providing a balanced attack across top-line minutes. Hiller’s system emphasizes quick puck movement and layered zone entries, creating opportunities for both perimeter shots and slot traffic.
The Kings’ challenge lies in capitalizing on their shot volume. Their shooting percentage fluctuated late last season, often limiting the impact of otherwise strong territorial play. Strong performances from depth contributors, along with continued puck retrieval, will be vital to complement Kopitar’s consistency.
Injury concerns remain limited, though the absence of Drew Doughty affects both defensive depth and power-play structure. Shifts in minutes among the second and third defensive pairings remain important to track through the Kings’ injury resources on their team profile.
Key Matchup Table
| Category | Edge |
|---|---|
| Special Teams Impact | Ottawa Senators |
| Defensive Consistency | Los Angeles Kings |
| Shot Generation | Los Angeles Kings |
| Goaltending Stability | Ottawa Senators |
Betting Trends
Ottawa enters the opener 7-3 across its last ten games and 4-1 in its last five, showcasing strong momentum. Their totals have gone over in 8 of 14 contests, driven by shot volume and power-play efficiency.
Los Angeles remains consistent on the puckline, covering in three straight contests and performing well as an underdog at 3-1 in recent matchups. Their games have trended heavily under, going below the total in 75 percent of their outings.
Additional market comparisons for sides and totals are available on the NHL odds board. Bettors seeking value-driven content can review the best NHL parlays guide or visit the handicappers leaderboard to evaluate expert performance. Reviews of top handicapping platforms are also available at the handicapper reviews hub.
The Lean
The Kings’ defensive stability, shot pressure, and home-ice advantage position them favorably, though Ottawa’s power-play efficiency and goaltending provide credible upset potential. The matchup likely hinges on which team dictates offensive pace. If Los Angeles continues controlling possession and forces extended defensive shifts for Ottawa, their balanced scoring can generate multiple high-quality looks.
Ottawa’s path centers on converting power-play opportunities and leveraging physicality to create space in the offensive zone. With Ullmark playing at a high level, the Senators can remain in range for three periods. However, Los Angeles’ defensive metrics and home performance provide the projection edge.
Projected Final Score: Los Angeles Kings 3, Ottawa Senators 2
Best Spread Pick: Ottawa Senators +1.5
Total Lean: Under 5.5
Why You Need Expert Picks
Opening-week NHL matchups require careful evaluation of lineup adjustments, ice-time allocations, and special-teams matchups. Expert handicappers identify edges in puckline pricing, early-season regression indicators, and goaltender performance trends. The Handicappers Leaderboard on the best handicappers page highlights analysts with sustained accuracy across NHL markets. Bettors can compare insights through the handicapper reviews hub to refine wagering decisions.
Early in the season, understanding pace trends, zone-entry reliability, and expected finishing rates provides sharper clarity. Leveraging expert projections supports a more complete read on totals and side positioning as teams settle into consistent rotations.
