Rangers vs. Bruins Odds
| Rangers Odds | +110 |
| Bruins Odds | -130 |
| Over/Under | 5.5 (-115/-105) |
| Time | 3 p.m. ET |
| TV | ABC |
| Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The playoffs are near and two teams already in are set to square off in TD Garden as the Boston Bruins host the New York Rangers. The Rangers have won both previous matchups, but will this one, the final matchup in the regular season, be any different?
New York has been red hot, and is bound to strike fear in opponents as it heads into the postseason. The Rangers have gone 7-2-1 in their past 10 games, but what’s even more impressive is that they've only allowed three goals over the past three games.
Boston hasn’t exactly been on fire recently and is coming off a shutout loss to the Penguins. In their last 10, they’ve gone 5-5 and have lost three of the past four. Obviously the postseason is a different beast, but this cold spell could pose concerns.
New York Rangers
This Rangers team is as deep as can be. Led by Russian sensation Artemi Panarin and his 96 points, they’re also getting top-notch production out of Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, who has scored 51 goals. Along with that, they did a fantastic job at the trade deadline, acquiring Andrew Copp (who’s day-to-day) and Frank Vatrano. New York has been mostly healthy, but Filip Chytil is day-to-day and both Kaapo Kaako and Tyler Motte are also out.
Even though the Rangers are supremely talented, their underlying offensive numbers are average at best. While they’re one of the best on the power play, scoring at a 26.09% clip, they have a subpar expected goals rate of 47.97. Not only that, but for a team with a 51-goal scorer, and four 20+ goal scorers, they only average 3.08 goals per game, which is 15th league wide.
New York has its defensive shortcomings, but with elite goaltending, their numbers are a bit exaggerated. They allow the ninth-most high danger chances, but it doesn’t seem to be an issue. They allow only 2.45 goals per game (second best), and are great on the penalty kill with an 81.8% success rate.
Igor Shersterkin has been one of the best net-minders in the league, and it seems as if he’s the favorite to win the Vezina Trophy this year. The Russian goalie is posting eye-popping numbers with a .936 SV% and a +34.4 GSAx (Goals Saved Above Expected). Along with that, Shesterkin hasn’t allowed a goal in two consecutive starts. I would expect him to start against the Bruins.
Boston Bruins
It’s rather confusing as to why people always seem to predict the Bruins demise because they constantly produce exceptional talent. Aside from staples like Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak (both are averaging over a point per game), they have captain Patrice Bergeron, Taylor Hall and Charlie McAvoy. It’s safe to say this Bruins team isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
The B’s are such an interesting case when it comes to the offensive end. They’re one of the elite teams in generating play with an expected goals rate of 57.3, but they only score 3.04 goals per game. Additionally, they’re not elite at creating high danger chances and have been fairly decent at scoring on the power play (21.17%).
While the offense leaves much to be desired, the Bruins are a top defensive team. They only allow 2.69 goals per game and limit opponents' high danger chances by a large margin. When down a man, they’re exceptional, ranking seventh in the penalty kill with an 82.19% success rate.
Boston, led by Jeremy Swayman, has received some quality goaltending out of their net-minders. The second-year net-minder is viewed as the goalie of the future in Beantown and is posting a .916 SV% and a +6.7 GSAx. Backup Linus Ullmark has split starts with Swayman, but is coming off an injury. He's expected to return soon, but I don’t see his return coming against a strong opponent in New York.
Rangers vs. Bruins Pick
This matchup is going to be a battle and it could be very close to a playoff-like atmosphere in Boston. Both squads have their shortcomings, but both have significant upsides as well.
I truly don’t see the Bruins getting more than two goals past Shesterkin, since he’s been playing some of the best hockey of his young career. Also, if the Bruins stay out of the penalty box, I don’t see the Rangers getting many past Swayman, since they struggle to create offense. I see some value in picking the under.
I’ve also been pretty down on the Bruins as of late, so I can see the Rangers extending their winning streak to five.
Pick: Rangers ML (+110) | Under 5.5 (-105)
Parlay Option: +310
