New York Rangers and Florida Panthers will face each other on Tuesday evening to open the February action in the NHL. The home side got back on the winning track, and they want to continue with positive results. The visitors are on a hot run, and they look forward to continuing their winning streak.
New York fights for the pole position in its division, and they want to continue their battle. In any case, their playoffs bid shouldn’t be jeopardized. On the other hand, Florida has been among the best NHL teams this season, and they search for their fifth straight win. The away side wants to continue its winning streak and remain on the top of their division.
New York Rangers – Can they beat a strong rival?
The Rangers have been very good so far in the campaign, as they are comfortable in the top four of the Metropolitan Division. They are second with a 29-13-4 record and two points behind Carolina Hurricanes. However, New York lost twice in a row before beating Seattle Kraken in their latest match. Although their opponents had 42 shots on the goal, Igor Shesterkin was excellent between the pipes, having a .952 save percentage. On the other hand, Mika Zibanejad led the Rangers to the victory with a goal and a pair of assists.
Artemi Panarin leads the Rangers’ offense with 49 points, while Chris Kreider tops the scorers’ charts with 31 goals and 44 points in total. Adam Fox is New York’s best assistant with 40, while he has contributed with 47 points, the same as Mika Zibanejad. Ryan Strome has 33 points, while two other skaters chipped in with 20+ points. On the goal, Igor Shesterkin has enjoyed the most action with 28 appearances, while the Rangers celebrated 21 times with him between the pipes. Shsterkin has allowed only 2.10 goals per game on average, having a .937 save percentage.
Expected Line-Up: Igor Shesterkin, Jacob Trouba, K’Andre Miller, Barclay Goodrow, Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad
with best odds
Florida Panthers – Will they continue their run?
The Panthers have enjoyed an excellent campaign, and they showed very good hockey this season. They top the Atlantic Division with a 32-9-5 record, being five points ahead of Tampa bay Lightning. Florida’s winning streak lasts for four games, and they eye another victory. The Panthers were very confident in their previous match against the Blue Jackets, which they won 8-4. Although Sergei Bobrovsky had a .884 save percentage, Sam Reinhart led the Cats to success with a hattrick, while Mason Marchment scored a brace and had four assists.
Jonathan Huberdeau has been the most productive player in Florida’s offense with 63 points, including a team-high 46 assists. Aleksander Barkov is the Panthers’ top scorer with 21 goals, contributing with a total of 38 points. Sam Reinhart and Aaron Ekblad are the two other skaters that managed to reach a 40-point mark, while four other players chipped in with 30 or more points. On the other hand, Sergei Bobrovsky has been Florida’s first-choice goalie, making 32 appearances so far. He has conceded 2.56 goals per contest, having a .920 save percentage.
Expected Line-Up: Sergei Bobrovsky, Chase Priskie, Aaron Ekblad, Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart
Expert Pick #1 – Panthers to win (Inc. OT and Pen.) @-140
The Rangers have been very good when playing at Madison Square Garden, but the visitors have been smoking hot lately. Although it’s always a value to back New York on the plus money odds at home, I believe the Panthers will get back home with a win. That’s going to be my first pick.
Expert Pick #2 – Over 6.5 @+100
The margin in the totals market is set pretty high, but I anticipate an entertaining clash here. The Over cashed in four of Florida’s last five games, and I expect that trend to continue. Give me the Over as the second bet.
Expert Pick #3 – Panthers Over 3.5 @+105
Florida has been very efficient recently, as the visitors scored at least four goals in each of their last four games. Their offense tops the NHL charts, and I won’t be surprised if they produce more than three goals again. I’ll take this pick as the second alternative.
