For the Ottawa Senators, this is their second of two Florida games, as they face the Panthers in Sunrise tonight. Welcome back to NHL Predictions as we break down key storylines, statistics, and analysis, to try to decipher how this one will play out. Ottawa finds themselves fully entrenched in a Stanley Cup Playoff race, and will do what it takes to earn the two points. Florida on the other hand, is looking ahead to the offseason, and will be playing hard, as many are playing for jobs or elevated roles down the road.

Credit Image: © David Santiago/Miami Herald/TNS via ZUMA Press Wire

NHL Predictions with Senators and Panthers

Season Series: Panthers are up 2-0, and they have their fourth installment on April 9th in Ottawa.

Puck Drop: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)

How to Watch: TSN5, RDS2, SCRIPPS

Location: Amerant Bank Arena, live from warm Sunrise, Florida.

As we enter play today, as we alluded to, both teams are in very different situations. Florida is actually fifth in terms of best odds for a draft lottery pick at 6.5%. In contrast, every game seems like a playoff game for the Sens. Ottawa is in a three-way tie for the top, non-playoff spot. They are tied in games and points with Detroit and Philadelphia with 73 and 86, respectively. However, Ottawa does hold the tiebreaker. They are closest to Columbus who has 88 points in 74 games, and currently occupies the second Eastern Conference Wild Card position. However for Ottawa, they are running into a tough stretch on the schedule. After tonight’s game, they play the fifth, seventh, fourth, and third ranked teams in overall standings. Yeesh!

The Latest News Out of Ottawa

The Ottawa Senators have plenty of lineup news to run by. First of all, it was a statement to sign a goalie to an entry-level contract in Kevin Reidler. It may seem like a small move at this time of year, but to help bolster the future of the Ottawa net, even in a small transaction, is important.

Reidler, the 6’6″ 21-year-old goaltender, just finished up his 2025-26 campaign with the NCAA’s Penn State Nittany Lions. The Swedish netminder was a fifth-round pick back in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. His contract isn’t set to begin until the start of next season, so he will play for the Belleville Senators, by way of an amateur tryout at this point.

They also inked Hoyt Stanley from Cornell University to his three-year, ELC yesterday.

On defence, the Sens continue to be, well, decimated with injury. It’s not good. A perfect example from within the division, is the Toronto Maple Leafs. Their blueline, in particular, succumb to injuries this season, and their results are a sign of it.

Jake Sanderson won’t play, despite having had fans optimistic with making the trip to Florida. However, let’s not forget the connection with Panther, and Team USA teammate Matthew Tkachuk. Hey, for the players, it is about enjoying the game they play, on and off the ice. So, that likely factored in to him being with team, being in the dressing room. He skated in a non-contact jersey yesterday, and is considered day-to-day. He must be close, regardless.

The Sens are already without Thomas Chabot and Nick Jensen, and Dennis Gilbert. Therefore, it will be again a patchwork model to try to get them through Tuesday night’s game.

Travis Green says Jake Sanderson won’t play tomorrow.

Says they’re taking it day by day for now, but that it’s good news he’s skating with the group.#Sens

— Jackson Starr (@JacksonStarr) March 30, 2026

It was announced that Jorian Donovan was loaned back to the Belleville Senators. Carter Yakemchuk does remain with the big club, for the time being.

Their forward group is healthy, that will allow them to play their game. They are always quick on pucks, and they have the matchups throughout their four lines that make them successful. If their scorers can score, and their goalies can come up big, they’ll walk away with the two points.

You know it is never easy playing Florida. Even if Florida is out of the Stanley Cup Playoff picture, they hate losing, and especially to a divisional foe. Senators will need to remain discipline against their tough checking, and yet, be physical enough to back them off.

Today’s goaltending matchup does set up to be a classic. Linus Ullmark up against Sergei Bobrovsky. Even though both goalies have numbers that are not quite up to their own personal standards, the potential is there for a duel. Ullmark comes in 23-10-8, with a 2.75 goals-against average and an .889 save percentage, with two shutouts. Bobrovsky’s numbers are close, but probably a little worse. He’s 26-21-1 on a struggling Panther team, with four shutouts. His goals-against average of 3.00 and save percentage of .879, both fail in comparison to Ullmark in 2025-26.

In terms of offence, the Sens have a slight advantage on the power play. At 22.9%, they are 10th in the NHL, while Florida is 20th with a success rate of 19.2%. This would be offset by the penalty kills. Ottawa continues to have a poor percentage at 75.1%, good for 29th league wide. Conversely, Florida is stronger in eighth at 81.6%.

For individual performers, Stutzle leads the Sens with goals (32), assists (43), and total points (75). Furthermore, Drake Batherson is flirting with career highs in his own right. His 29 tucks is already a career mark. His point total of 63, with nine Senator games remaining on the schedule, should allow him to surpass his career high of 68 from last year.

On the other hand, Florida has struggled with offence this year. Overall, with 2.89 goals-per-game they are 21st in the NHL. Ottawa is 10th at 3.30 GF/GP as a comparison. The injuries for Florida has and continued to take a toll. With Brad Marchand and Aleksander Barkov are both likely ruled out for the campaign, others have found themselves on the shelf. At this point, Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, Anton Lundell, and Evan Rodrigues are all up in the air. That would test any team’s depth. Reinhart leads the team in goals (29) and points (61).

However, it is a great time for our disclaimer. Please check social media prior to puck drop, to see definitely who gets the nod, before setting your fantasy roster for the day.

NHL Predictions

Ottawa looks to take out some frustration on Florida. Despite the banged up backend, Florida is missing a lot of their firepower. Once Ottawa gets going, don’t look for them to let up.

Prediction: Ottawa 6 – Florida 2 

Prop Bets

For our classic anytime goal scorers, we are taking Matthew Tkachuk for Florida. He has three goals in his last three games, so look for him to keep the heat. And why not keep the Tkachuk theme going. We think Brady is lifted to play his brother, and won’t be outdone by him, and finds the goal sheet himself.

Main Photo Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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