The St. Louis Blues limp into Ottawa on a mission to salvage a disappointing season, facing off against the Ottawa Senators in a matchup that could spark life into both middling Atlantic and Central Division hopefuls. St. Louis (9-12-7) has struggled mightily on the road (3-8-4), but a recent mini-resurgence offers hope against an Ottawa squad (13-10-4) that’s won four of five but can’t buy a goal at home lately. This clash at Canadian Tire Centre pits Robert Thomas’ playmaking against Tim Stützle’s dynamism, with the Senators’ superior special teams (top-10 PP at 21.5%) clashing against the Blues’ stout penalty kill (83.7%). Expect a defensive battle early, as both teams rank in the bottom half for goals per game (2.74 combined avg.).
Venue and Game Details
Location: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, ON (1000 Palladium Drive, Kanata, ON K2V 1A5). The Senators’ suburban home seats 19,153 for hockey and delivers a passionate, if chilly, atmosphere—though Ottawa’s home record (7-5-2) has been middling, with just 2.5 goals/game scored there.
Puckdrop: 7:00 p.m. ET.
Broadcast: NHL Network (national), FanDuel Sports Network Midwest (St. Louis), TSN5 (Ottawa), Sportsnet East (Canada). Doors open at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Team Records and Standings
Ottawa clings to the Atlantic’s sixth spot with a +4 goal differential, buoyed by strong faceoff wins (52.3%, 5th league-wide) but plagued by goaltending (.887 SV%, 27th). St. Louis wallows in the Central’s eighth place, with a -10 differential, relying on veteran grit but ranking 29th in power-play goals (14).
| Team | Record (W-L-OTL) | Points | GF/GP | GA/GP | Home | Away | Streak |
| St. Louis Blues | 9-12-7 | 25 | 2.59 | 3.07 | 6-4-3 | 3-8-4 | W2 |
| Ottawa Senators | 13-10-4 | 30 | 2.89 | 2.85 | 7-5-2 | 6-5-2 | W1 |
The Blues lead the NHL in blocked shots (17.2/GP), while Ottawa ranks 8th in high-danger chances created (11.2/GP) but 25th in save percentage.
Recent Team Forms
St. Louis has clawed back with consecutive wins, outscoring opponents 7-4 while tightening defensively (2.0 GA/game in streak). Their underlying play (49.8% Corsi) shows promise, but road woes persist—they’ve allowed 3.5 goals/game away. Jordan Binnington’s bounce-back (.910 SV% last three) fuels optimism.
Ottawa snapped a two-game skid with a 3-2 home win over New Jersey on Thursday, but their home offense is anemic (2.1 GF/GP in last six). The Sens are 6-3-1 in their prior 10, excelling in transition, though penalties (9.8 PIM/GP) have bitten them.
| Blues Last 5 Games | Result | Score | Key Notes |
| Dec 4 @ MIN | W | 3-2 | Thomas 2A; Binnington 28 saves, road resilience. |
| Dec 2 vs ARI | W | 4-2 | Kyrou GWG; power play 1/2, balanced attack. |
| Nov 29 @ DAL | L | 1-4 | Defensive collapse; 0/4 PP. |
| Nov 27 vs VAN | L | 2-3 (OT) | Buchnevich G; OT heartbreaker, 35 SOG. |
| Nov 24 @ WPG | L | 2-5 | Binnington pulled; road skid hits three. |
| Senators Last 5 Games | Result | Score | Key Notes |
| Dec 4 vs NJD | W | 3-2 | Stützle G+A; Ullmark 24 saves, timely win. |
| Dec 1 @ TOR | L | 2-4 | Tkachuk 2A; outshot badly (29-41). |
| Nov 28 vs DET | L | 1-3 | Low-event loss; PK 3/4 but offense dormant. |
| Nov 26 @ BOS | W | 4-3 | Batherson 2G; high-scoring affair (7 goals). |
| Nov 23 vs BUF | W | 5-1 | Sanderson 3A; dominant home effort. |
Injury ReportOttawa’s forward corps is hit hard, thinning their scoring depth, while St. Louis misses blue-line stability but has key vets available.
| Team | Player | Position | Status | Est. Return | Notes |
| STL | Justin Faulk | D | IR (Out) | Dec 14 | Lower body; 5 pts in 18GP, top-pair anchor. |
| STL | Jake Neighbours | LW | Out | Dec 8 | Upper body; 7 pts in 20GP, physical winger. |
| STL | Joel Hofer | G | Day-to-Day | Dec 6? | Illness; backup to Binnington (7-9-5, .910 SV%). |
| OTT | Brady Tkachuk | LW | IR (Out) | Dec 20 | Knee; 12G-14A in 23GP, captain’s absence hurts grit. |
| OTT | Josh Norris | C | Out | Jan 5 | Shoulder; 6 pts in 15GP, second-line driver. |
| OTT | Drake Batherson | RW | Day-to-Day | Dec 6? | Flu; practiced, 11G-10A—crucial if sidelined. |
| OTT | Jacob Bernard-Docker | D | IR (Out) | Dec 12 | Wrist; 3 pts in 22GP, depth D. |
Binnington starts for St. Louis; Linus Ullmark (.887 SV%, 2.85 GAA) for Ottawa.
Key Player Matchups
With Tkachuk out, St. Louis’ veterans could exploit Ottawa’s youth. Transition and special teams will dictate flow.
Robert Thomas (STL, 9G-15A) vs. Tim Stützle (OTT, 10G-18A): Thomas’ vision (1.12 Pts/GP) tests Stützle’s speed (team-high 28 pts). Thomas has 6 pts in last 5; Stützle must win draws (51.2%) without Norris.
Jordan Kyrou (STL, 12G-8A) vs. Jake Sanderson (OTT): Kyrou’s rush threat (14 goals) challenges Sanderson’s containment (4.0 defensive shares). Kyrou 4G in streak; Sanderson allows 2.1 xGA/60 on shifts.
Brady Tkachuk’s Line Replacement (OTT) vs. Colton Parayko (STL): Without Tkachuk, Ottawa’s top line leans on Pinto; Parayko’s size (+5 rating) shuts down cycles. Parayko blocks 2.3 shots/GP.
Pavel Buchnevich (STL, 8G-12A) vs. Claude Giroux (OTT, veteran): Buchnevich’s two-way game (52.4% Corsi) meets Giroux’s savvy (15 pts). Buchnevich 5 pts in 7 vs. OTT; Giroux excels on PP (3 PPG).
Linus Ullmark (OTT) vs. Blues’ Top Line: Ullmark’s rebound control (.887 SV%) vs. Thomas-Kyrou-Acciari (35 combined pts). Ullmark has 2 shutouts this year; Blues generate 10.8 HD chances/GP.
Eye Mathieu Joseph (OTT, depth scorer) in bottom-six battles.
Series History
These teams have met 48 times (regular season), with St. Louis holding a 25-19-4 edge (55.6% win rate). The Blues have won 4 of the last 6, including a 4-2 home victory on October 28 (Kyrou 2G). Ottawa is 3-7 in their last 10 at home vs. STL, often outmuscled physically (Blues +15 hits avg.). No playoff history, but St. Louis’ 2019 Cup run adds lore.
| Last 5 Meetings | Date | Result (OTT Home unless noted) | Score | Key Stat |
| Oct 28, 2025 | @ STL | W (STL) | 4-2 | Binnington 26 saves; Blues control shots 32-24. |
| Mar 15, 2025 | OTT Home | L (STL) | 3-4 (OT) | Stützle GWG attempt fails; high-event. |
| Jan 9, 2025 | @ STL | W (STL) | 3-1 | Thomas 2A; low-scoring trap. |
| Nov 12, 2024 | OTT Home | W (STL) | 5-3 | Kyrou hat trick; offensive outburst. |
| Apr 2, 2024 | @ OTT | W (STL) | 2-1 | Ullmark roughed; Blues PK shines. |
St. Louis wins 68% when leading after two periods (OTT 42% when trailing).
Betting Trends
Moneyline Trends: Senators 7-5 as home favorites; Blues 3-8 as road dogs. 58% bets on OTT ML.
Puck Line: OTT -1.5 (+165) covers in 48% of home wins; STL +1.5 (-195) hits 73% as underdogs.
Total Trends: Under 5.5 in 7 of STL’s last 10; Over in 6 of OTT’s last 9 homes. League avg: 6.0 goals/game.
Game Odds
St. Louis Blues 5.5
Ottawa Senators – 155
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, December 5, 2025
