Posted at 10:00 AM EST. Odds subject to change.

Pinnacle  -½ +123 BET365 -½ +140 Sportsinteraction -½ +130 888Sport  -½ +130

Vancouver -½ +140 over Ottawa

7:07 PM EST. Regulation only. The Senators are in a tough spot here after playing their hated rival Toronto on the road last night in Smog Town, in a game Ottawa won 6-3. That lopsided final flatters the Sens, as it was a tight game tied 3-3 with less than 10 minutes to play before a Dominik Kubalik power-play marker opened the floodgate, and Ottawa scored three goals in just 3:09. We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that the Senators have not been playing well of late, as they’ve been dominated in the puck possession department to an extreme degree in four straight games, including last night in Toronto. That was a rare win for the Senators against a quality team, as they are currently 2-5 against the top-16 and 0-2 versus the top-10.

The Canucks are an elite team, but they are still not priced as such, and until there is a correction in the market, we are going to continue to back this team at prices that are far lower than they should be. Vancouver ranks sixth on the power rankings with its 9-2-1 record, where the Canucks are 1-1 against top-10 teams and 2-2 against the top-16. For the record, the Senators come into this game tonight ranked 17th.

If the price wasn’t sweet enough, the situation is potentially favorable as well, as the Canucks are playing their first game of a three-game Eastern Canadian road trip, and setting the tone tonight is paramount. When a team is playing as well as the Canucks are, they cannot wait to get back on the ice. Vancouver is not going to lack focus or motivation here, and if you don’t believe us, listen to goaltender Thatcher Demko: "(We’re) not taking our foot off the gas. It's going to be important for us in an 82-game schedule." They say a team takes on the personality of its coach, and the Canucks have done just that, as Rick Tocchet played his entire career with a chip on his shoulder. The Canucks are kicking ass, and they are taking names, and we’re not going to stop backing them until the market catches up on just how great they are.

Sherwood

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