Ottawa Senators vs. Chicago Blackhawks: Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 3/6/2023

Time: 9 p.m. ET

Venue: United Center, Chicago, IL

Where to watch: NBCSCH, TSN5, RDS

DraftKings: Senators -275, Blackhawks +220

FanDuel: NL

BetMGM: Senators -275, Blackhawks +220

Caesars: Senators -275, Blackhawks +220

Senators: 32-26-4

Blackhawks: 21-36-5

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As the 2022-2023 NHL season enters its final stretch, the Ottawa Senators and Chicago Blackhawks are set to face off on March 6th, 2023 at the United Center in Chicago. And if there was anything to get hyped about, it’s the Senators making a playoff push.

 

May we just revel in what’s happening right now. The Senators are 32-26-4 and are coming for a playoff spot. Only a few points out of creating chaos and they just acquired Jakob Chychrun. What a time to be alive, as I’ve always said. Ottawa is 7-2-1 in the last 10 and are off a 5-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Chychrun scored his first goal as a member of the Senators for the red-hot group.

 

"That was a lot of fun," Chychrun said. "The boys played a pretty good game and the crowd was into it. We got the win. I don't know if any game is perfect, but it was pretty darn close."

 

"I just wanted to come in and do what I can to help be a part of this group, keep moving this thing forward and keep growing together," Chychrun said. "I think we're taking good steps in the right direction. Fun times here."

 

You know what would be funny? If an AI system said that the Blackhawks were a playoff team right now. It’s quite honestly the funniest thing, and nothing makes sense. Anyway, the Blackhawks continue to lose games and have lost four straight since trading Patrick Kane to the New York Rangers, coming off a 3-1 loss against the Nashville Predators at home. Funny how you trade away your best offensive player and you can’t score. Seth Jones scored the only goal for the Blackhawks and they’ve been outscored 16-6.

 

"I thought the first part of the first two periods we played better, and then we kind of dropped off," Chicago coach Luke Richardson said. "We were more physical, skating, had the puck, driving offensive plays more … and then we seemed to be a little bit too much in the [defensive] zone and not enough in the [offensive] zone.

"But our guys played and our guys played to the game plan well. It kind of fell off a little bit for pace for me, but I think we're still trying to find ourselves."

 

Offensively, the Senators will be looking to their top line of Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, and Drake Batherson to lead the way. The trio has been one of the most productive lines in the league this season, with each player recording more than 40 points so far. They'll be facing a tough test in the Blackhawks' defense, which features standout players like Seth Jones and Connor Murphy.

 

Both teams will be looking to get off to a fast start in this game, as the first goal could be crucial in setting the tone for the rest of the game. The Senators will need to play a tight defensive game and limit the Blackhawks' scoring chances, while also capitalizing on their own opportunities when they arise. The Blackhawks will need to continue their strong play on both ends of the ice and take advantage of any mistakes the Senators make.

 

Overall, this game has all the makings of a closely contested battle between two teams fighting for playoff positioning. With just a handful of games left in the regular season, every point is crucial and both teams will be leaving it all on the ice in this matchup. Fans can expect an intense and exciting game between the Senators and Blackhawks on March 6th.

 

And by exciting game, I mean a runaway for Ottawa. Senators 5, Blackhawks 1

Senators:

Brady Tkachuk -- Tim Stutzle -- Claude Giroux

Alex DeBrincat -- Shane Pinto -- Drake Batherson

Mathieu Joseph -- Dylan Gambrell -- Julien Gauthier

Derick Brassard -- Mark Kastelic -- Austin Watson

Thomas Chabot -- Jakob Chychrun

Jake Sanderson -- Travis Hamonic

Erik Brannstrom -- Artem Zub

Cam Talbot

Blackhawks:

Lukas Reichel -- Max Domi -- Philipp Kurashev

Tyler Johnson -- Cole Guttman -- Taylor Raddysh

Andreas Athanasiou -- Jason Dickinson -- David Gust

Boris Katchouk -- Jujhar Khaira -- Brett Seney

Andreas Englund -- Seth Jones

Jarred Tinordi -- Connor Murphy

Isaak Phillips -- Caleb Jones

Petr Mrazek