Welcome to another Saturday Ottawa Senators edition of NHL Predictions here at Last Word On Hockey as the Los Angeles Kings visit town. Check out our statistical breakdown, analysis, storylines, and predictions for not just this one, but games all season long. Find out who we think stays hot between a battle of east versus west, Ottawa or Los Angeles.

NHL Predictions with the Sens versus the Kings

2024-25 Season Series –  Los Angeles 1-0-1

Start Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)

How to Watch: Sportsnet One, FDSNW

Location: Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata, Ontario

The 9-5-4 Kings take on the likewise 9-5-4 Sens. So, tie? If only it were that simple young whipper snipper. Ottawa does come into this one on an impressive 7-1-3 stretch. On the other side of the ledger, LA has won four of their last five.

This is the showcase game for Jordan Spence as is he is gaining confidence with his new organization. Meanwhile, former Sen goalie Anton Forsberg plays for the Kings, but isn’t expected to start. Look for Darcy Kuemper to square off against Linus Ullmark. Now, we will add our disclaimer to please check social media for the very latest lineup news and notes before locking in your daily fantasy rosters.

An Important Goaltending Showcase

One interesting aspect about this goaltender matchup, is that the two tenders are in the running for their respective Olympic teams. Ullmark is one of the top Swedish goalies, and should get the invite. This is despite very shaky early season stats for Ullmark. He sports a 6-4-4 record, with a 3.21 goals-against average and a lowly .870 save percentage. The fact the Sens are as good as they are is a sign they are well-built overall, and for real, as contenders in the Atlantic Division. Meanwhile, Kuemper puts his 7-3-3 record on the line. He has a 2.44 GAA, and a .903 SV%, with one shutout. Those are numbers to put you in the Team Canada conversation. That’s not to mention that he would provide some veteran assurance between the pipes. In terms of today’s matchup, we have to give the Kings the slight edge, despite Ullmark probably being the more talented of the two tenders.

Looking at It From the Los Angeles Kings Perspective

Los Angeles is trying to make a push for the playoffs. Also, we already know that this season is planned to be Anze Kopitar‘s swan song. So, King fans are wondering just who he might be passing the proverbial franchise torch on to. The main guy holding that designation is Adrian Kempe. Kempe has been the source of many of the headlines and discussion that has gone on over recent days. The delay seems to be money, anywhere between $9 and $11 million it seems. For now, he will look to do his talking on the ice, in terms of goals and points. Kempe leads the Kings in points with 19, including six goals and 13 assists. Quinton Byfield sits second on the club, with 16 points, including four goals. They will try to help power the Kings to victory in this one.

Talking About Ottawa’s Situation

If you couldn’t tell by Ullmark’s stats, the Ottawa Senators have had a tough time keeping the puck out of their net in 2025-26. Now to add injury to insult, their blueline is banged up. Thomas Chabot won’t be in tonight. Luckily, Jake Sanderson, despite missing some action last game against the Boston Bruins, is good to go. However, Nick Jensen isn’t confirmed, but did skate at an optional Sens practice yesterday.

One player looking to continue his solid play is Jordan Spence. He will be given opportunity with top-four minutes as a result of the injuries. Despite being sat in favour of returning Senator Nikolas Matinpalo, Spence has played well when he’s been in the lineup. He’s up to seven points in nine games, playing nearly 18 minutes a game. He’s shown good versatility and compete level when he’s out there. It seems he has moved past a couple costly mistakes that happened earlier in the season.

If we compare the two teams offensively, it should favour Ottawa. Ottawa is ninth with a 24.1 power play percentage, while Los Angeles is 26th at 16.1%. In terms of goals-for per game, Ottawa is fifth at 3.44 and LA is 20th with a 2.94 standing.

NHL Predictions

Even though Los Angeles does match the identity as a contender, we think the Sens prevail in this one. Let’s not forget the epic 8-7 rodeo between the clubs last year. Even though the teams try to keep it low scoring, we think you can err on the side of high scoring, if you’re thinking an over/under scenario.

Prediction: Senators 4 – Kings 3

Prop Bets

Kevin Fiala has been buzzing for the Kings. You can have confidence in taking him as an anytime scorer, or even to have elevated shot values. Meanwhile, for the Sens, Michael Amadio is a point getter, if given the right opportunity. He’s currently riding a six-game point streak. In fact, his entire line of recently extended Shane Pinto and Claude Giroux have been hot. We like Amadio to find twine once again, against the team that drafted him in the third round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

Main Photo Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

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