Nashville vs Ottawa Prediction 4 February 2025

🔊 Can the "Predators" break their losing streak? Nashville is already 16 points behind the playoff zone, and such a comeback is extremely rare in league history. The home team, in their current form, are unlikely to be capable of such a feat. Ottawa, on the other hand, continues to surprise. The club from Canada's capital is in the top 8 of the East for a reason. The team plays very attractive and dynamic hockey. At first glance, the favorite in this matchup is obvious.

📊 Head-to-Head

In the current regular season, the opponents have faced each other once. In early December, the "Senators" confidently won on their home ice with a score of 3:1. The decisive contribution to his team's success was made by Ottawa's center forward Tim Stützle. The German scored the winning goal and provided an assist. The forward is currently in excellent form and has been scoring points in four consecutive games.

🟡 Nashville

This season for the "Predators" can already be deemed a complete failure. The club, which caused a real stir in the league during the summer by signing contracts with two prominent snipers and former Stanley Cup winners (Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault), looks completely incapable. After a small successful stretch in mid-January, the team collapsed again. Right now, Nashville is on a four-game losing streak in regulation time and has very bleak prospects. It wouldn't be surprising if the team soon starts a massive sell-off. The gamble on elite veterans clearly hasn't paid off.

🔴 Ottawa

Travis Green's team has gained excellent momentum at a crucial point in the season. In the last eight games, the "Senators" have achieved six victories with two losses. Two "dry" setbacks against the Rangers (0:5) and Boston (0:2) haven't derailed the visitors. However, the club has yet to secure its place in the playoff eight. The results are so tight here that a few consecutive setbacks inevitably become fatal. However, Ottawa's current form shows only positive prospects. If they can avoid a major slump, fans in Canada's capital may see Stanley Cup games for the first time in many years.

🔗 Probable Lineups

Nashville: Saros - Josi, Barron - Forsberg, Stamkos, Marchessault

Ottawa: Meriläinen - Zub, Sanderson - Perron, Stützle, Tkachuk

🥅 Goalkeepers

Nashville's goalie Juuse Saros has completely failed this season. The Finn has been a mainstay of the "Predators" defense for many years and was considered an elite player. However, this season, which was supposed to be a breakthrough for the team, has not gone well for the netminder. In his last two games, he managed to handle pressure from Vancouver (90.5%) and Pittsburgh (94.3%), but it did not help the home team.

Ottawa's goalie Leevi Meriläinen remains a true hero of Canada's capital. The Finn caught fire after receiving regular playing time in the world's strongest league for the first time in his career. In the game against Minnesota, he once again kept his goal untouched. After 12 matches played, his statistics look simply monstrous (92.5% SV% and GAA 1.99).

📝 Editorial Prediction

Despite the current standings and form of the teams, the "Predators" have a historically established advantage in this matchup. In 9 out of the last 10 head-to-head games in Tennessee, the home team has consistently scored points. Moreover, in 15 out of 17 personal encounters, Andrew Brunette's team also left the ice with points. In our opinion, both trends will remain relevant. The key bet is Nashville will not lose.