10/13 04:35 PM NHL (57) OTTAWA SENATORS at (58) FLORIDA PANTHERS
FREE PICK: (57) OTTAWA SENATORS -115
What happens in October often times doesn’t have much to do with how teams eventually end up come the end of the season. I think this game is a good example along those lines.
I like the moves Florida made in the off-season and expect this team to be improved as the season progresses. On the flip side, I’m of the belief the Sens could decline some this year. Losing Jason Spezza was a huge blow and Ottawa appears to be a team that is going to have some trouble generating offense.
But for right now, the Senators are in better shape than the Panthers. Ottawa is still fresh enough to be able to force the tempo they want while relying on good defense and what should be solid goaltending.
The Panthers are going to likely need some time to sort things out as there was a load of turnover on this roster. The cohesiveness isn’t there yet. That makes Florida a team that’s probably a decent fade right now. But they’re also a team that bears close watching as once they fit the pieces together, they could be a live entry, especially as a dog.
As for tonight, I’m basically taking Craig Anderson over Roberto Luongo. I’m assuming Anderson starts in goal for Ottawa. He’s healthy, which is something that wasn’t the case for much of last season. Anderson has also owned the Panthers throughout his career, and while that’s not a huge stat for me, it sure doesn’t hurt. Luongo is off to a sluggish start, and while he can definitely get it together and start rolling, Luongo is not a great option right now.
Later in the season, I can at least speculate that getting Florida as a home dog against Ottawa might well be worth a wager. But for the present, I’ve got to side with the Senators and as long as this price doesn’t climb, I believe they’re worth a shot tonight.
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