Free NHL Picks Today: Minnesota Wild vs Ottawa Senators 12/18/22

Two of the league’s most penalized teams are set to meet at Xcel Energy Center on Sunday, as the Minnesota Wild (17-11-2) host the Ottawa Senators (14-14-2). Ottawa is playing on back-to-back days after earning a high-scoring 6-3 win over the Red Wings yesterday, their fourth win in a row.

The Senators committed seven penalties in the game, conceding one power play goal. Drake Batherson led the Senators with two goals. Alex DeBrincat had three assists to lead the team in scoring. Cam Talbot had 29 saves in the win.

Minnesota is wrapping up a four-game homestand after a 4-1 win over the Blackhawks on Friday, their fourth straight win. Mats Zuccarello was the leading goal scorer for the Wild, netting a hat trick. Marc-Andre Fleury was impressive in the win, making 29 saves (.966%).

HEAD TO HEAD

The Wild won the first meeting between the teams this season, a 4-2 victory in October. Ryan Hartman, Kirill Kaprizov, and Frederick Gaudreau each had two points (1G 1A) to lead Minnesota. DeBrincat led Ottawa with two points (1G 1A). Fleury got the win, saving 27 of 29 shots (.931%).

FACING OFF

Ottawa is averaging 3.17 goals per game for the season, 16th in the NHL, and they are taking on a Wild team that is allowing 2.87 goals a game (11th). Meanwhile, Minnesota has found the net 3.10 times a game on average, 17th in the league, and the Senators are allowing opponents to score 3.13 goals per game (17th).

Expect a few power play opportunities during the game, as the Senators and Wild have more penalties per game than most teams in the NHL. Both teams are averaging 4.83 penalties/game, fourth-most in the league.

The Senators’ 29.06% power play percentage is the third-best in the league, while the Wild rank eighth with a conversion rate of 25.77%. When it comes to penalty killing, Ottawa has the league’s ninth-ranked PK% at 80.53%, while Minnesota is 14th at 79.61%.

TOP PERFORMERS:

With 35 points this season, Brady Tkachuk is the top skater for the Senators. He has 13 goals and 22 assists in 30 games. In the net, Anton Forsberg (5-7-2) is Ottawa’s top goaltender. He has a 3.25 GAA and a .908% save percentage. Kaprizov leads the Wild in scoring with 39 points. He has 18 goals and 21 assists.

Filip Gustavsson (6-4-1) has the best goals against average for Minnesota at 2.33, fourth-best in the league. He has a save percentage of .921%. Fleury (10-7-1) has played the most games in net for the Wild this season. He has a 3.05 GAA and a .895% save percentage.

HOME AND AWAY

Ottawa is 6-6-2 away from home this season. Minnesota is looking for a seventh consecutive home win this season. Meanwhile, the Senators are 1-0 without a day off and 1-0 playing with a rest disadvantage. The Wild are 3-0 with a rest advantage.