In some ways, these are two evenly-matched teams, as the Ottawa Senators and New York Rangers square-off. Welcome back to NHL Predictions, with us here at Last Word On Hockey. Check out our statistical breakdown, analysis, storylines, and predictions for not just this one, but games all season long. Both teams enter this one tied at 30 points in the very close Eastern Conference standings. However, Ottawa does have a slight advantage with two games in hand. Speaking of how close the standings are, incredibly eight teams are between 29 and 31 in the Eastern Conference. But, who has the edge in this one?
NHL Predictions New York Rangers at Ottawa Senators
2024-25 Season Series – Rangers won 2-0-1
Start Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
How to Watch: RDS, TSN5, MSG
Location: Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata, Ontario
Mika Zibanejad played the first five seasons of his career in Ottawa. He returns to the city that drafted him back in 2011, still playing very competitive hockey. Moreover, this season he is playing a noteworthy 20:32 of average ice time. At 32 years of age, he hasn’t been at that level of ice time, going back to pre-Covid-19 times, call it 2019-20, to be exact. His point-per-game pace isn’t what it once was, but he usually gets up for games against Ottawa. In 19 career games, he has nine goals and 13 assists against the Sens.
Ottawa looks to get back on track. Following a difficult, but impressive, 4-3-0 Western road trip, they return to the friendly confines of the Canadian Tire Centre.
What’s the Story for Ottawa
For Ottawa in this one, they still look to get their special teams on track. Their penalty kill continues to struggle at 68.4%, ranked 32nd in the league. Luckily, the Rangers power play hasn’t been clicking like it can. It also hurts, without their top quarterback, Fox. They are 14th in the NHL at 19.7%.
The other special team, the penalty kill for Ottawa, seems more evenly matched. Ottawa is 12th at 21.3%, up against the tied-for 13th ranked Ranger PK, at 81.2%. The idea is that Ottawa’s key to winning, will revolve around staying out of the box. Then, if they do get the man advantage, try to take advantage. If not with goals, at least use them to build momentum, not lose it.
Also, for Ottawa, Brady Tkachuk looks to build off the momentum. Last game, he pulled into a tie for fifth with Wade Redden on the franchise point leader list. On top of just bouncing back from injury, he would love to keep the good times rolling. He scored his first of the season last game versus Montreal.
Most points, Senators history
Daniel Alfredsson 1,108
Jason Spezza 873
Erik Karlsson 518
Alexei Yashin 491
Brady Tkachuk 410
Wade Redden 410#GoSensGo— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) December 3, 2025
Some Thoughts on New York’s Situation
The Rangers continue to search for consistency. After a horrible 0-6-1 start on home ice, they have balanced out slightly. Luckily for them, they have played well on the road. But one issue that has plagued them has been putting the puck in the net.
The Rangers are 27th in goals-for at 2.64. Conversely, Ottawa has struggled defensively at times, but tend to get skewed numbers from lopsided contests. Defensively, they are 23rd, but improving we will add, at 3.31 goals-allowed per game. The idea that keeps these teams close, is the other side of the puck is equally disjointed. Ottawa is decent at 11th in goals-for at 3.12. Meanwhile, the Rangers are better defensively, at 2.61 goals-allowed, ranking them fifth in the NHL.
Adam Fox just recently went down with injury. That does hurt their team overall, as he is an excellent manager of the game. However, their offensive guys will look to step up in his absence.
One final note on the goaltending matchup. It features two stars, in Igor Shesterkin and Linus Ullmark. Shesterkin does have the advantage in the numbers game, at this point of the season. He’s 11-9-2, with a 2.45 goals-against average, a 9.12 save percentage, and one shutout. In contrast, Ullmark is battling with a 10-6-4 record. He has a 3.05 GAA and an .878 Sv%. These are listed as expected starters as of publication. However, we will add our disclaimer to check social media for the very latest lineup notes before locking in your daily fantasy rosters.
NHL Predictions
We expect a focused Senator group, and a Rangers side trying to get better. It will be a close matchup, but we like Ottawa as the homer pick, literally.
Prediction: Senators 3 – Rangers 2
Prop Bets
To go along with our score prediction, check out a couple anytime scorers. To go off the board slightly, and select a defenceman, Jake Sanderson has been hot recently. For the Rangers, Artemi Panarin is making a statement of sorts.
Main Photo Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
Please play responsibly, check for your local rules and age restrictions; some jurisdictions require ages 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
The post NHL Predictions Senators Edition With the New York Rangers at Ottawa appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.