Rangers vs. Hurricanes Odds
| New York Rangers | +125 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | -145 |
| Over/Under | 5.5 (+120 / -140) |
| Time | 8 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN, SportsNet |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
This is it. Game 7 for all the marbles.
The home team is 6-0 in this Eastern Conference semifinal, which is great news for the Carolina Hurricanes, who finished atop the Metropolitan Division standings this season.
They host the New York Rangers in a decisive contest for a chance to take a run at the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Canes have been the superior team in the latter half of this series; however, they have just one win to show for their commanding efforts. Could this be the night it all comes together for Carolina?
Igor Shesterkin Key for New York
The Rangers' success is centered on Igor Shesterkin. New York continues to give up an alarming amount of chances, relying on its Russian netminder to thwart its intra-division rival.
Shesterkin has been a stabilizing force for the Rangers, stopping 92.6% of shots this postseason. More impressively, he's stopped 94.9% of shots or better in four of his past five. Clearly, Shesterkin has the Canes' number and is almost single-handedly carrying the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Finals.
At the same time, the Rangers' skilled players have made the most of their opportunities in this series. New York scores on 12.6% of its shots over the past four games, elevating its postseason shooting percentage to 10.0%.
The Rangers' five-on-five scoring has been a difference over the last few games, as they've recorded three goals at five-on-five in two of the previous three contests and outscoring their opponents, 6-4.
Although impressive, the Rangers have struck an unsustainable balance when it comes to winning games. The Broadway Blueshirts can't continue to get outplayed and get by on timely scoring and above-average goaltending.
New York's 1.020 PDO in the playoffs is a continuation of its second-best 1.024 mark in the regular season and an indicator that the Rangers exhausted their puck luck heading into Game 7.
Can Carolina Keep Impressing?
The Hurricanes have asserted their dominance in this series, particularly over the past four games.
The Metropolitan Division winners have posted a cumulative 62.9% expected goals-for rating over that stretch; the Canes have outplayed their opponents at five-on-five in all four contests, with three of their four-game scores eclipsing the 60.0% threshold.
Carolina is taking care of business on both ends of the ice, out-chancing its opponents in scoring and high-danger chances in four straight games. The Canes are averaging 31.5 scoring and 15.3 high-danger opportunities over that stretch, eclipsing double-digit quality chances in all four contests.
Improved offensive opportunities haven't come at the expense of defensive zone coverage, with the Hurricanes limiting the Rangers to eight or fewer quality chances in 3-of-4.
Despite their best efforts, the Hurricanes have dropped three of their last four games, decreasing their PDO to 0.997. Sustained efforts will lead to more wins, as the Hurricanes have demonstrated that they are the better team in this series.
Carolina can use home ice to its advantage, putting its best skaters out under ideal circumstances while neutralizing the Rangers' opportunistic attack.
Rangers vs. Hurricanes Pick
The Hurricanes have been the better team throughout this series, but thanks to Shesterkin and optimal scoring, the Rangers have hung around.
We're betting New York has run out of runway and will meet its untimely demise against the Canes in Game 7. Home ice is an advantage, but Carolina has been the better team throughout the series. It will prove that tonight.
Pick: Hurricanes ML -150
