The Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Rangers meet Monday in NHL action from Madison Square Garden. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Rangers prediction.
Pittsburgh Penguins Team Preview
The Pittsburgh Penguins come into this game looking to rebound from a 4-3 shootout loss to Columbus last time out. Sidney Crosby leads the Penguins in scoring with 79 points including a team-high 35 goals and 44 assists. Evgeni Malkin has 56 points with 21 goals and 35 assists while Erik Karlsson’s added 46 points with 38 assists and Kris Letang has 43 points of his own with 35 assists this season. Tristan Jarry has gone 19-24-5 with a 2.90 GAA and a .903 save percentage while Alex Nedeljkovic has a 12-6-6 record with a 2.87 GAA and a .906 save percentage this season.
Pittsburgh Penguins Team Facts
- The home team has won each of the Penguins’ last seven games.
- The Penguins have covered the puck line in seven of their last eight games at Madison Square Garden against opponents on a winning streak.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 2′ market has hit in each of the Penguins’ last 16 games following a shootout win.
- The home team has won the third period in each of the Penguins’ last four games.
New York Rangers Team Preview
The New York Rangers come into this one looking to build on a five-game win streak after an 8-5 win over Arizona last time out. Artemi Panarin leads the Rangers in scoring with 107 points including team-highs of 44 goals and 63 assists while Chris Kreider has 67 points with 35 goals of his own. Vincent Trocheck has 75 points as well with 50 assists while Mika Zibanejad has 63 points with 39 assists this season. Igor Shesterkin has gone 32-15-2 with a 2.63 GAA and a .913 save percentage while Jonathan Quick is 17-5-2 with a 2.54 GAA and a .913 save percentage between the pipes for the Rangers this season. The Rangers will meet the Devils and Red Wings after this one.
New York Rangers Team Facts
- The Rangers have won each of their last six games against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- The Rangers have covered the puck line in each of their last six games against the Penguins.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 2′ market has hit in each of the Rangers’ last 13 games as favorites against the Penguins.
- The Rangers have won the first period in each of their last four games against the Penguins.
Penguins vs. Rangers Prediction
I’m on the Rangers here. The Rangers are simply the better team and I’m at a point where I’m ready to stick a fork in the Penguins. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it for anyone new, the Penguins knew what they were doing at the trade deadline when they were in a playoff position and traded away Jake Guentzel. They knew they weren’t going anywhere and it’s becoming evident now more than before. The Rangers look like they want the President’s Trophy and I think they get the win here to take another step towards it. Give me the Rangers here.