Best NHL Bets Today: Goalies to Take Back the Spotlight

For a series that has featured a high level of defensive play, game three was the complete opposite as the Rangers squeaked out a 5-4 win in overtime. With that win, the Rangers now lead the series 2-1 with a chance to take a commanding 3-1 lead before going back home for game five. Should they want to pull off the upset in game four, their defense will need to round back into form as star goalie Igor Shesterkin can only wall off so many shot attempts. Expect game four to mirror games one and two with both defenses tightening up and minimizing scoring opportunities.

As for where to wager on the NHL Playoffs, the FanDuel sportsbook has been the pioneer for the league as they routinely put out lines before everyone else and at very favorable odds when compared to the rest of the mobile sportsbooks. If you have not signed up yet and want to wager on game four of the Rangers and Panthers series, you can claim $150 in bonus bets by simply creating an account and winning your first bet of at least $5 wagered. Be sure to lay the $5 on a heavy favorite immediately after signing up, maximizing your chances of winning and collecting the $150 in bonus bets.

New York Rangers vs. Florida Panthers - Game 4 (8:00 PM, EST)

Under 5.5 (-124) at FanDuel

It was as wild as a playoff game can get in game three of the Eastern Conference Finals, especially when you dig into the shot quality analytics. While the game featured plenty of goals being scored against two elite goalies, the Expected Goals game result ended 3.89-1.68 in the Panthers favor. A heartbreaking loss for Florida fans, especially since their team dominated a majority of the contest.

While that normally screams positive regression back towards the Panthers way, I am going a different route and backing the under for game four instead. Especially with both goalies poised to bounce back after a bad performance as both let in a shocking amount of low quality goals. Six of the nine goals scored in game four resulted in an Expected Goal of 0.10 or less.

The Rangers goals alone are especially head scratching, resulting in an Expected Goal of 0.03, 0.09, 0.12, 0.05, and 0.12. Weirder yet, three of them came on a 5-on-5 which the Rangers offense is league average at best at. The Panthers Sergei Bobrovsky has been one of the better goalies since the start of the playoffs, possessing a Save Percentage of .912 and a Goals Against per Game Average of 2.12.

The Panthers entered the Eastern Conference Finals as the Stanley Cup favorites in some sportsbooks off the backs of a well rounded defense and elite goaltending and put together dominant defensive performances throughout the NHL Playoffs. With refs letting the players play more aggressively and a lower amount of penalties being called, the Rangers offense should revert back to their struggles with scoring as we saw in games one and two.

As for the Rangers defense, they are in a similar boat as the Panthers as positive regression looms large for their back end. Igor Shesterkin is one of the best goalies in the league and has maintained his high level of production in the playoffs with a Save Percentage of .925 and a Goals Against per Game Average of 2.22. Better yet, their defense has clocked in a Expected Goals Against in 5-on-5 situations at 3.07 which is just above league average. Expect both goalies to round back into form, walling off low quality shots and minimizing scoring opportunities.

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