Some pundits predicted that the Ottawa Senators would be able to push the top-seeded New York Rangers in their first round playoff series but that wasn’t the case in Game 1.
The Rangers dictated the pace, dominated the Senators in most facets
and skated away with a rather easy 4-2 win. Had you followed SBR's pick for Game 1, you not only would have cashed, but we almost had the score pegged as well.
Game
2 will take place on Saturday and the Senators should start to feel the heat.
While that may sound a bit odds, the Rangers 24 road wins were the second-most
in the NHL, which means that if they head to Ottawa up 2-0, this series is all
but over.
The
Sens will have to play a perfect game to get the job done but it’s questionable
whether that will be enough.
Saturday, April
14th
The NHL odds boards for Game 1 had closed with the Rangers as a small -105 favorite, but their 2 point victory has caused the NHL lines to up the stakes, as they have just opened at -165 for Game 2. The first matchup of this Eastern Conference showdown saw a total of 6 points, and the NHL betting lines are listing an over/under of 5 points for tonight's matchup.
Lets face it, the Rangers looked good, and they are deserving of the credit that the odd makers are starting to give them. Find out why the Rangers might be the smartest way to lean with your NHL picks this evening.
The
Ottawa Senators can win because…
They
finally found their way into the series.
The
Senators fell behind early against the Rangers on a first period goal by Ryan
Callahan and before they knew it, that lead had ballooned to four goals. While
the Sens do have some playoff experience with the likes of Daniel Alfredsson
and Jason Spezza, the reality is that most of the roster is short on playoff
pedigree. They had to feel their way into the game but they did exactly that.
The
Sens scored the final two goals of the game and should be able to take that
momentum with him.
They
did a lot of things right in Game 1, such as outscoring the Rangers and killing
off all four of their power plays, now they just need to get off to a better
start in Game 2 and play with the lead instead of fighting from behind.
The
New York Rangers can win because…
Nothing
has to change. The Rangers are a defensive-minded team that’s hosting Game 2,
so there’s no need for the pace to change. To put that in more positive terms
(for them), the Rangers dictated the pace in Game 1 and implemented their
style, and there’s no reason to expect that to change.
This
series is a contrast of offense versus defense. The Sens want to turn the games
into shootouts while the Rangers want to keep this from being a track meet.
They’d rather low scoring, defensive style contests. That’s what they
accomplished in Game 1, that’s what they’ll do in Game 2 and that’s what this
whole series will be about.
The
Sens are now 0-3 on the year when playing on the road with a total of five
while the Rangers are 20-7 at home with the same total. They’re just
comfortable in this setting; the Senators are not.
Outlook
& NHL Betting Prediction:
The
key to this game – and every game in the series – will be the first goal. If
the Rangers can get ahead, they’re not going to lose many times these playoffs
– especially not to the Senators.
The
disparity in net seems so huge in this series that the Rangers can come back
from a goal or two but the Sens won’t be able to.
Look
for Game 2 to play out similarly. Rangers will stay in control throughout the
entire way and take a 2-0 series lead after Saturday.
NHL Picks: Rangers