The Norris Trophy winner last season as the NHL’s top defenseman, Karlsson was cut by Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke’s skate as the two tangled along the boards in Wednesday night’s game.

Senators GM Bryan Murray said Karlsson had surgery to repair 70 percent of his Achilles. Murray also said recovery time is three to four months, meaning the earliest Karlsson could return is in May. If he were to return in May, he would have a chance to play if the Senators were still alive in the playoffs.

“Erik Karlsson’s season is effectively over,” Murray said.

Karlsson leads NHL defensemen with six goals, scoring three times in his previous four games. He had a short-handed goal to help the Senators beat Buffalo 2-0 on Tuesday night.

The loss of Karlsson is a big one to Ottawa, which already is without star forward Jason Spezza. He is out after having back surgery for a herniated disc.

“It’s a tough blow,” Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson said. “Obviously, the way he’s playing, and how much he means to our team, it feels terrible and I feel really bad for him.”

Karlsson immediately fell to the ice and was in visible pain. He needed help getting back to the bench and showed frustration, throwing his stick against the boards before disappearing down the runway.

“You knew right away there was an issue,” Senators goalie Craig Anderson said. “He’s a player who is irreplaceable. It’s unfortunate, but there are no words that can explain what we’re feeling.”

Cooke has been suspended several times for hits, some of them involving head shots that injured opposing players. In 2011, Cooke was suspended for the Penguins’ final 10 regular-season games and the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs after jabbing an elbow to the head of New York Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh.

“We all know who’s involved in it,” Senators coach Paul MacLean said. “That’s just the way it is. The injury to Erik was unfortunate, and it happens on a nothing play that could’ve potentially been whistled down.”

The NHL, however, said there will be no hearing or any supplemental discipline for Cooke in the wake of Karlsson’s injury.

“I feel horrible for Erik Karlsson, I feel bad for Ottawa,” Penguins general manager Ray Shero told ESPN.com Thursday. “It’s a bad feeling. But I can’t rationalize where that was a dirty play or anything with intent. Our fan base knows how it feels to lose a star player. It’s emotional. I know how it feels like. It’s just very unfortunate. I would not be defending Matt Cooke if I thought it was a dirty hockey play.”

The NHL’s department of player safety reviewed the incident and NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan spoke with general managers for both the Senators and Penguins, but there is nothing coming Cooke’s way. The league doesn’t view the play as illegal or malicious.

The post Erik Karlsson likely out for season appeared first on IdealCapper.

Pittsburgh Penguins at Ottawa Senators
When: 5:00 PM ET, Sunday, January 27, 2013
Where: Scotiabank Place, Ottawa, Ontario
TV: 5 p.m., ROOT, Sportsnet East, TVA
Prediction: Senators 5, Penguins 4

Oddsmakers currently have the Penguins listed as 121-moneyline favorites versus the Senators, while the game’s total is sitting at 5½.

Starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has split time with offseason signing Tomas Vokoun thus far. Both have a win and a loss, as well as a goals-against average around 3.00, but Vokoun holds the edge in save percentage with .908 to Fleury’s .882. Crosby and reigning Hart Trophy winner Evgeni Malkin are tied for the team lead with five points, while James Neal leads the club with 22 shots and has three goals. Chris Kunitz, who has three points, leads the team with 15 hits.

Pittsburgh was a 4-2 loser in its last match on the road against the Jets. They lost as -130 favorites, while the total score of 6 made winners of OVER bettors.

Team record: 3-1-0 SU, ATS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 7 of last 8 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of last 10 games at home
When playing on Sunday are 6-4
Before playing Boston are 6-4
After playing Tampa Bay are 3-7
After a loss are 4-6

Karlsson, who won the Norris Trophy last season as the league’s best defenseman, leads the team with 17 shots and is plus-6. Jason Spezza, who had a team-high 84 points last season, has four points. Captain Daniel Alfredsson has three assists so far and is 15 points away from reaching 1,100 in his career. Milan Michalek hasn’t scored since Ottawa’s season-opener but has points in all four games so far.

The Senators were a 6-4 loser in their most recent outing on the road against the Lightning. That made winners of bettors who got Tampa Bay at -125 on the moneyline, while the total score (10) was good news for OVER bettors.

Team record: 2-2-0 SU, ATS
Current streak: lost 2 straight games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of last 5 games when playing Ottawa
The total has gone OVER in 7 of last 8 games when playing on the road against Ottawa
The total has gone OVER in 14 of last 17 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 17 of last 21 games
When playing on Sunday are 5-5
Before playing Ottawa are 6-4
After playing Winnipeg are 7-3
After a loss are 6-4

The post Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Ottawa Senators Free Betting Tip & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.