Looking for a playoff preview? Two of the top teams in
the Eastern Conference will square off on Tuesday night in what could very well
turn out to be foreshadowing of a postseason meeting.
The New York Rangers lead the East with comfortable
nine-point buffer. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Penguins are in sixth but a win
can boost them all the way into second place.
The Penguins are conference playoff stalwarts while the
Rangers are new on the block. If the Rangers want some respect, getting wins in
Pittsburgh will earn them those stripes.
Tuesday, February
20th
NHL Odds: Penguins -115
The New York Rangers can win because…
They’ve already beat the Penguins in two of the first
three meetings this season. They play especially well in Pittsburgh too.
The Rangers have now won four straight at the Consol
Energy Center while outscoring the Penguins 15-6 in those contests. Goaltender
Henrik Lunqvist has played great against them going 6-2-1 in his last seven
starts while giving up 21 goals in that span. He has a 1.58 GAA against in his
last five visits to Pittsburgh. At the other end, goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury
has gone 3-4-1 with a 3.25 GAA.
Fleury has struggled with his goals-against average
overall in the last little bit. Even though he’s 7-2-1 in his last 10 starts,
he has a 3.20 GAA in that span.
If he continues to struggle and Lundqvist continues to
thrive, the Rangers will get the win.
The Pittsburgh Penguins can win because…
This is a statement game for Pittsburgh.
Touts
and bettors saw the Rangers win the first two meetings of the season, then the
Penguins roared back with a 4-1 win on January 19th. There’s a
legitmate chance these two teams faceoff at some point in the playoffs and the
Penguins need to prove to themselves and everyone else that they’re capable of
winning.
The Pens have alternated wins and losses over their last
four games but the good news is that they haven’t lost back-to-back games in
regulation in more than a month. They’re fresh off a 6-2 loss to Buffalo on
Sunday and will aim to rebound. They’ve been somewhat inconsistent recently but
that’s because six of their last nine games have been on the road. At the
Igloo, they’ve won six of their last seven affairs.
Outlook & NHL Betting Prediction:
This is a coin flip game but the Rangers might offer some
value with less juice on their price tag. They are an excellent road team
(19-7-3) and Lundqvist is 8-1-0 with a 1.42 GAA in his last nine starts.
The Penguins find themselves in a third game in four
nights after going toe-to-toe with Philadelphia on Saturday and Buffalo on
Sunday. It’s also their sixth game in the last 11 days. They might also be
looking ahead to a nice three day layoff after this contest
For the over/under, consider going with the under.
Lunqvist plays well in Pittsburgh and as mentioned, the Pens might be a bit
gassed.
NHL Picks: Rangers
Be sure to also check out my NHL picks for today for a full run down of today's games.