The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Ottawa Senators, Wednesday April 14, as the Penguins try for back to back Stanley Cup wins. The teams split four meetings this season, with each team winning once at home and once on the road. NHL oddsmakers at BODOG.com have the Penguins as -198 moneyline favs to beat the Senators (+175) with the over/under listed at 5.5 goals . Be sure to get your 2010 NHL Playoffs: Ottawa Senators vs Pittsburgh Penguins Prediction in now at BODOG.com
T
he Senators got to the playoffs on the superb play of goalie Brian Elliott, towards the end of this season, and now he’ll be making his playoff debut. He went 6-1 to lift the Sens into fifth in the East. Ottawa goes up against the defending Stanley Cup champions and all their firepower, but players and coaches believe the pressure is on the Penguins."I think the pressure is all on the home team to come out and play well, " Senators defenseman Chris Phillips told the Ottawa Sun. "I think we're in a good spot." The Sens have just as much skill and fire power now they’ve figured out their goalie problems. Daniel Alfredsson may not have a goal in seven games heading into the playoffs, but he's no stranger to scoring them against the Penguins; in 53 games, he has 18 goals and 55 points. The Senators lost forward Alexei Kovalev for the entire playoffs with a torn knee ligament suffered Thursday. If regular-season form holds in the playoffs, don't expect any nail-biters in this series. The closest games were a pair of three-goal decisions. There also was a 6-2 Senators win in Ottawa, and an 8-2 Penguins shellacking in Pittsburgh.
The Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby is having a stellar year, an Olympic gold medal, a share of the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy and a chance to defend the Stanley Cup. Not too shabby! He finished with a career-best 51 goals after played 81 games, which is the first time he's played at least 80 games since his rookie season. He also finished second in the League with 109 points, the second-best total of his five NHL seasons. Crosby is entering the playoffs on a nice little streak . In his last eight games, he had 6 goals and 20 points, including five games with at least 3 points. Penguins forward Chris Kunitz could be ready for Game 1 but is still questionable. Defenseman Brooks Orpik should be ready to go Wednesday but Matt Cooke will sit. Cooke's injury forced the Pens to give the rookie his NHL debut in Sunday's season-finale, and coach Dan Bylsma was happy with what he saw. "Probably the toughest thing for a player to get is confidence from his coach, and by the end of the game, he had my confidence," Bylsma told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Recent Trends to Consider:
- Senators are 5-2 in the last 7 meetings.
- Road team is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings.
- Senators are 9-2 in their last 11 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Senators are 4-1 in their last 5 games as an underdog of +151 to +200.
- Penguins are 1-6 in their last 7 games following a win.
- Penguins are 0-4 in their last 4 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Penguins are 22-5 in their last 27 playoff games as a favorite.
Ottawa Senators vs Pittsburgh Penguins
When: Wednesday April 14, 2010 7:00 PM ET
Line: BODOG.com
Pick: Senators +175
Point-Spreads.com 2010 NHL Playoffs: Ottawa Senators vs Pittsburgh Penguins Odds & Predictions
The Bottom Line: The Sens have the Pens. Be sure to get your 2010 NHL Playoffs: Ottawa Senators vs Pittsburgh Penguins Prediction in now at BODOG.com and receive a 10% Deposit Bonus and start winning today!
