NHL Picks: Will the Early Start Hurt or Help Ottawa against the Islanders?

The Hall of Fame Welcomes Daniel Alfredsson

It is nice to enjoy the Hockey Hall Of Fame festivities. Those who have not experienced them, check them out, they are pretty impressive. Those who get inducted are the best of the best. Alfredsson did not expect it to be so fast. 

As an American writer, it's fun. The game is international, and Swedish forward Alfredsson quickly endeared himself to the Ottawa Senators. Alfredsson totaled 1,157 points in 1,246 games. That included 444 goals and clutch playoff moments.

The captain guided Ottawa to the Stanley Cup Final in 2007 against the Anaheim Ducks. It fell short in that series, but Alfredsson scored 14 times in that playoff run. He ended up with 22 points in all.

How he led by example in Ottawa will be remembered most of all. Yes, he left to play in Detroit for one season, but his heart was always in the Canadian capital. Tonight, Alfredsson will be immortalized, and if there were a prop on a tear shed, it would be firmly on yes!

New York Islanders at Ottawa Senators

The Islanders and Senators start early tonight, just after 5:30 p.m. ET. That will throw off everyone, from the players to the bettors. It will still be dark, but this will throw off some routines. Everyone in Canada will likely watch the Hockey Hall Of Fame induction ceremony afterward.   

It is early, but Ottawa needs to pile up some wins. It finally snapped a long losing streak over the weekend, standing at just 5-8-1. That is last in the Atlantic Division, even behind the Buffalo Sabres and the Montreal Canadiens. For a team with higher aspirations, the first month differs from what the Senators had in mind. 

Artyom Zub and Josh Norris are out of the lineup already. Thomas Chabot will miss at least this week after suffering a concussion over the weekend. That is a significant blueline hit for a team that did not need another injury.

Ottawa is better than what the Senators have shown this season. Their goal differential is zero. However, the offense might have to win this one tonight. They have scored 49 goals, and during that early-season four-game winning streak, Ottawa racked up 22 goals. Accomplishing that against the likes of Boston and Dallas is newsworthy. 

Ottawa, in regulation, has a plus value of 2.45. After that, it is about the line movement and where it roams. Do not bet the moneyline, which hovers around even.

Los Angeles Kings at Calgary Flames

The games that one cannot figure out can truly be fascinating. Calgary truly is an enigma wrapped in a riddle for a few reasons. A big one is simply Jonathan Huberdeau. Huberdeau has one goal in 11 games. Overall, the forward with 115 points last year has a mere six in 2022-23. Huberdeau has missed three games after blocking a shot off his foot last week.

Will the rest give him and the Flames a much-needed boost? Since starting the season 5-1, Calgary has tumbled back to .500 at 6-6-2. Inconsistent plays from game to game and within games have driven Darryl Sutter and his coaching staff nuts. Part of it has been Christopher Tanev, but part of it has been not getting consistent top-six production.

Even Nazem Kadri has just three points in his previous seven games (all goals). At least Elias Lindholm is heating up with five points in the last five contests. Again, consistency is an issue for a team where it should not be. Could the Los Angeles Kings take advantage of that weakness?

Los Angeles has been a bit up and down too. However, at this point, the Kings have won four straight games to be 10-6-1. They have allowed just eight goals in that stretch. Expecting goals to be down tonight seems unlikely, however. Both teams know they need to push the tempo.

Some Picks To Consider

• Senators’ 3-way bet at 2.45
• Jonathan Huberdeau Over 0.5 assists at 1.91
• Flames-Kings Over Six goals at 1.87
• Flames to win by two at 6.75

Good luck, and once again, thanks for reading! We will have a few more plays on social media as conditions warrant.

All odds today come from BetMGM.