Washington Capitals (40-31-11) vs. NY Rangers (55-23-4)
April 21, 2024 3:00 pm EDT
The Line: NY Rangers -244 / Washington Capitals +190; Over/Under: +5.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Washington Capitals and the New York Rangers meet Sunday in Game 1 Eastern Conference NHL Playoffs action at Madison Square Garden. Here’s a Capitals vs. Rangers prediction.
Washington Capitals Team Preview
The Washington Capitals come into this game after finishing the regular season with a record of 40-31-11 this season. Dylan Strome leads the Capitals in scoring with 67 points including 27 goals and 40 assists while Alex Ovechkin also has 65 points with 31 goals and 34 assists. John Carlson has 52 points with a team-high 42 assists while Tom Wilson has 35 points with 18 goals this season. In goal for Washington, Darcy Kuemper has gone 13-14-3 with a 3.31 GAA and an .890 save percentage while Charlie Lindgren is 25-16-7 with a 2.67 GAA and a .911 save percentage and Hunter Shepard is 2-1-1 with a 3.19 GAA and an .894 save percentage this season.
Washington Capitals Team Facts
- The underdogs have won five of the Capitals’ last six games.
- The Capitals have covered the puck line in seven of their last eight day games at Madison Square Garden.
- The Capitals have won the second period in six of their last seven day games at Madison Square Garden.
- The ‘Over 2.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in four of the Capitals’ last five day games against opponents on a winning streak.
New York Rangers Team Preview
The New York Rangers come into this one after finishing the regular season with a record of 55-23-4. Artemi Panarin leads the Rangers in scoring with 120 points including team-highs of 49 goals and 71 assists while Chris Kreider has 75 points with 39 goals of his own. Vincent Trocheck has 77 points as well with 52 assists while Mika Zibanejad has 72 points with 46 assists this season. Igor Shesterkin has gone 36-17-2 with a 2.58 GAA and a .913 save percentage while Jonathan Quick is 18-6-2 with a 2.62 GAA and a .911 save percentage between the pipes for the Rangers this season.
New York Rangers Team Facts
- The Rangers have won each of their last seven day games.
- The Rangers have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last six games against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- The Rangers have won the third period in each of their last four day games.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 2′ market has hit in each of the Rangers’ last nine day games against opponents on a winning streak.
Capitals vs. Rangers Prediction
I’m on the Rangers here. The Capitals are still a sub-.500 team on the road this season and are likely only in the postseason because the Philadelphia Flyers pulled their goalie in the final game of the season. New York’s been the better team by a mile, winning the President’s Trophy, and they were one of the best home teams in the NHL this season, winning at a clip just below 75%. The home team also won all four meetings in the regular season. Give me the Rangers.
