New York Rangers vs Carolina Hurricanes Predictions, Odds, Picks

• The New York Rangers are have won three of their last four games.
• The Carolina Hurricanes are on a three-game losing streak.
• The Hurricanes beat the Rangers 6-3 in their first matchup this season.

New York Rangers vs Carolina Hurricanes Odds

Odds taken from DraftKings Sportsbook.

New York Rangers vs Carolina Hurricanes Predictions and Picks

The New York Rangers will face the Carolina Hurricanes for the second time this season in this divisional battle. The Rangers are sitting in third place in the Metropolitan Division and the Hurricanes are sitting in first-place with a five-point lead over the second-place Pittsburgh Penguins. Even though the Hurricanes are atop their division, they are hungry for this win after losing their last three games.

The New York Rangers have not been a top team this season, but they have always been in the league’s top half and a tough team to beat.

The Rangers are led by Artemi Panarin, Adam Fox, Mika Zibanejad, and Chris Kreider. Panarin is a top passing winger in the NHL and has 56 assists. Fox is arguably the best defenseman in the league and has 53 assists, Zibanejad is an impressive center with 25 goals and 37 assists, and Kreider is an electric goal-scorer with 40 goals.

The Rangers also have a solid goaltender in Igor Shesterkin. Shesterkin has 30 wins, gives up a little over two goals per game, and has the best save percentage in the NHL at .938.

The Carolina Hurricanes have been one of the best teams in the league for most of the season; they have gone on big winning streaks and their 88 points are the third-best in the league. However, even the best teams go through slumps. The Hurricanes have lost their last three games and need a win to get back on track.

Center Sebastian Aho has become a leader on this Hurricanes squad. He leads the teams in points (61), goals (27), and assists (34) and plays under 20 minutes a game. Aho is an efficient and talented player who commands a lot of attention on the ice. He is also not selfish and creates opportunities for his teammates by commanding a lot of attention.

The Hurricanes have a good offense and a great defense. However, much of their success has been because of their goaltending. Their starting goaltender, Frederik Andersen, is an All-Star and one of the best netminders in the NHL. He only gives up 2.08 goals per game and has 30 wins. In case that is not enough, the Hurricanes also have a solid backup goaltender in Antti Raanta. Ranta has 10 wins in 19 games played and only gives up 2.32 goals per game.

The Hurricanes will be without defenseman Tony DeAngelo, but still have a better roster than the Rangers. They will win this game with the help of their home crowd.

Pick:

Carolina Hurricanes beat New York Rangers 4-3. New York Rangers cover, Over 5.5 goals.

Why Might the New York Rangers Win?

The Rangers are the underdogs in this game, but they can win if they get second-chance shots and limit the Hurricanes shots.

The Rangers are facing a Hurricanes team with a great defense and great goaltenders. Goals will be hard to come by, so they need to attack the net and look for second-chance shots. If they do, they might be able to slip one in the net.

The Hurricanes average 33.5 shots per game. That is part of the reason they score over 3.3 goals per game. The Rangers need to limit those shots by playing tough defense. If they do, the Hurricanes will have fewer scoring chances.

Why Might the Carolina Hurricanes Win?

The Carolina Hurricanes are itching for a win after losing three straight. They need to avoid penalties and ride the hot hand to win this game.

The Rangers are really efficient on the power-play. They convert on almost 27% of their power-plays. The Hurricanes cannot give the Rangers these chances and have to avoid penalties. If they play smart hockey, they will keep the Rangers’ scoring at bay.

The Hurricanes have lost their last three games, so they need to win this game however they can. If one player is feeling hot this game, they have to let him free. It is paramount the Hurricanes do this to get back on track.

Rangers Key Player: (C) Ryan Strome

This is an unlikely pick. Ryan Strome is the second-line center on the Rangers, so you are probably wondering why I chose him.

I chose him because he is an efficient player and gets good scoring opportunities. He may not be the starter, but he is productive and occasionally puts the puck in the back of the net.

Strome needs to be aggressive against this tough Hurricanes defense. If he is, he will score or create an opportunity for one of his teammates.

Hurricanes Key Player:  (C) Vincent Trocheck

Vincent Trochek may be a starter, but he plays in the shadow of Sebastian Aho. He puts up impressive numbers, but they do not compare to those of Sebastian Aho.

Trocheck has 17 goals and 25 assists this season. However, that is not why I picked him as the key player. I picked him because he has two goals in the last two games. He is feeling hot right now and has a lot of momentum.

Trockeck needs to continue looking for his shot in this game. If he does, he will probably put one in the back of the net.

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