Penguins vs Senators Prediction & Odds - 3/30/2025

The Ottawa Senators roll into PPG Paints Arena riding a two-game winning streak and clutching the top wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, while Sidney Crosby's Pittsburgh Penguins have dropped their last two contests and find themselves near the bottom of the Metropolitan Division.

The defensive prowess of the Senators, allowing just 2.87 goals per game with Thomas Chabot and Nick Jensen anchoring the blue line, could prove decisive against a Penguins squad that's surrendered a concerning 17 goals in their past three outings.

Sunday's clash between these two teams heading in opposite directions will ultimately come down to whether the home team Penguins can finally shore up their defensive woes or if the away team Senators can continue their march toward playoff security.

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Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Ottawa Senators preview

The Senators roll into PPG Paints Arena riding a two-game winning streak and looking to cement their grip on the Eastern Conference's top wild card spot, while the struggling Penguins are simply playing out the string after dropping their last two contests, including a brutal 7-3 beatdown by Buffalo.

The goaltending battle could tell the story Sunday afternoon, with Ottawa's Anton Forsberg (.897 save percentage) facing a Pens offense that, outside of Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell, has struggled to find the net consistently all season.

Thomas Chabot anchors a rock-solid Senators defense that's surrendered just five goals in their last two games and sits among the league's better units allowing only 2.87 goals per game.

Pittsburgh's defensive woes have been their undoing all year, with Kris Letang and Matt Grzelcyk providing the only reliable presence on a unit that's been leaking goals like a sieve – surrendering a whopping 17 in their last three games.

Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson have powered Ottawa's attack with a combined 41 goals, though creating secondary scoring remains a challenge for a team ranked 19th in league scoring.

The Penguins' playoff hopes are essentially dead in the water, but Crosby still brings it every night – he and Rakell have tallied 58 goals and 85 assists between them this season.

Don't expect a barnburner at PPG Paints, as both squads average identical 2.92 goals per game, with Ottawa's defensive edge likely giving them the advantage despite being the road team.

Honestly, this one feels like a classic case of a hungry playoff contender against a team playing out the string, and I'd be shocked if the Senators don't take care of business against a Penguins squad that seems to have already mentally checked out.