Ottawa vs San Jose Prediction 15 March 2026
🔊 San Jose continue their road trip through the Eastern Conference teams. After back-to-back victories, the Sharks have returned to the playoff zone in the West and aim to solidify their place in the top 8. Meanwhile, Ottawa are still dreaming of breaking into the playoff positions. Can the Sharks extend their winning streak and can Maclin Celebrini keep up his scoring run? Let's break down the scenarios ahead of this NHL regular season matchup and offer the editorial team's prediction for the game.
Head-to-Head
📊 Over the past three seasons, Ottawa and San Jose have faced each other five times: the Senators have won four of those encounters, while the Sharks claimed victory in one. Notably, on home ice, the Canadian club has triumphed in 6 of their last 7 head-to-head clashes, scoring at least five goals in each of those wins.
Head-to-head statistics Ottawa - San Jose
Ottawa Senators Team Overview
The Senators have been on a roll since the break, picking up points in 7 of their last 8 games. They secured back-to-back shutout victories, first against the Vancouver Canucks (2-0) and then over the Anaheim Ducks (2-0). Ottawa have climbed to the tenth spot in the Eastern Conference, narrowing the gap to the top 8 to just five points.
At the Canadian Tire Centre, Travis Green's squad are showing solid defensive hockey, conceding an average of only 2.71 goals per home game - the third-best mark in the East. However, their scoring rate of 3.03 goals per game still leaves room for improvement.
The Senators' most prolific defenseman, Jake Sanderson, is sidelined with an injury until the end of March. Recently, another defenseman, Nick Jensen, joined him on the injured list. Jensen is expected to return by the middle of next week. In the game against the Ducks, Dennis Gilbert filled his spot on the third defensive pairing.
Match Results: Ottawa Senators
San Jose Sharks Team Overview
The Sharks are also putting up a decent points tally (in 7 out of 9 games), despite suffering three consecutive defeats earlier this week. San Jose have managed to break their losing streak with two victories over Eastern Conference teams - the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens (both 4-2). The Sharks have clawed their way back into the playoff zone in the West.
Ryan Warsofsky's team is showing impressive scoring ability on their current road trip through the East, netting at least three goals in each of their three matches. However, over the course of the season, their defense is a bigger concern, conceding an average of 3.56 goals per game on the road (28th in the league).
On the Sharks' injury list remain goaltender Yaroslav Askarov and forward Ty Dellandrea, who recently signed a two-year contract extension with the team. Igor Chernyshov, who suffered a minor injury, is expected to recover in time for the next game.
Match Results: San Jose Sharks
⚡️ Key Players
Tim Stützle carries the main offensive load for Ottawa, boasting 70 points (30 goals, 40 assists) across 65 games. The German forward's 14-game point streak was snapped in the recent clash against the Ducks. Brady Tkachuk also saw his scoring streak end, having gone eight consecutive games without registering a point.
The standout young star of the league remains San Jose's forward Macklin Celebrini, who has tallied 94 points (25 goals, 59 assists) in 64 games. The Canadian's scoring streak has now reached eight consecutive games. Alexander Wennberg has also been on a roll, collecting points in three straight matches.
🥅 Goaltenders
James Reimer's shutout against Vancouver was mirrored by Linus Ullmark's performance. The Swede stopped 23 shots from Anaheim, securing his second shutout of the season. However, this hasn't dramatically improved his post-break statistics, with Ullmark holding a 90.4% save percentage and a goals-against average (GAA) of 2.43.
With Yaroslav Askarov sidelined (88.6% save percentage and a GAA of 3.56), Alex Nedeljkovic has taken on the primary goaltending duties for the Sharks. The American goalie has made 64 saves in his last two outings, boasting a 94.1% save percentage and a GAA of 2.00.
Editor's Prediction
San Jose have been consistently picking up points in recent games, losing only once in regulation over an eight-game stretch (3-6). In their last ten head-to-head encounters, the Senators have only managed to defeat their opponent by two or more goals twice.
Considering that over the past two seasons, Ottawa have failed to win by even two goals in 10 out of the next 13 games following a shutout, a reasonable option seems to be a San Jose Sharks win with a +1.5 handicap.
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Betting Tips: Ottawa Senators - San Jose Sharks
in 9 of last 10 games against San Jose Sharks (NHL).
in 7 of last 8 games (NHL).in 9 of last 10 home games against San Jose Sharks (NHL).in 8 of last 9 games (NHL).in 13 of last 15 away games (NHL).
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