The New York Rangers deserve credit for truth in advertising and coming clean if for nothing else. One year ago, at the NHL trade deadline the Rangers sent out a letter to their fans that indicated their days as a top tier Stanley Cup contender were over and that a full rebuild and roster blow up was about to commence. While success has been fleeting since that time at least gamblers and Ranger backers knew what was coming. The Pittsburgh Penguins are not quite ready to make a similar concession. But with a precarious one-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference the Pens may face a fork in the road soon.
New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Date and Time: Sunday, February 17, 2019, 12:30 p.m. ET
Location: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
NHL Betting Online Odds at Bookmaker.eu: Check Back Later
Rangers vs. Penguins TV Coverage: NBC
Odds Analysis
The New York Rangers are not likely to garner much in the way of live betting action. Hockey fans are sharper than most fans and bettors in other sports and they are fully aware of New York’s situation and challenges. Along the same lines there may be bargain hunters that take a flier on the Broadway Blueshirts based on the lack of recent value produced by the Penguins. Additionally, Pittsburgh attracts significantly more casual public money than most other NHL teams. Indeed, the Pens are a top tier NHL “name brand.”
Current Form
The Rangers have struggled to keep up recently with just three payouts in their last eight games. NYR has gone under the total in five of their last nine games. The Rangers now stand at 24-24-6-2 with just 26 of their 56 games going under the total. New York has a road record of 9-15-2 with just 10 of their away matchups staying under the total.
Pittsburgh has dropped six of their last ten games with six of their last eight matchups staying under the total. The Penguins are now 30-20-5-2 with just 26 of their 57 games going over the total. At PPG Paints Arena the Pens are 16-10-2 with only 12 of their 28 home games clearing the total.
Matchup Metrics
Pittsburgh has NHL rankings of sixth for goal scoring, and sixth for power play efficiency. On the back end the Penguins rank 19th for goals against but ninth for penalty killing. The Pens rank an alarming 28th in the NHL for shots allowed.
New York has the NHL metrics of a team that is full blown rebuild mode. The Broadway Blueshirts rank 27th in the league for goal scoring, 15th for the power play, 24th for goals allowed, and 26th for the penalty kill.
Goaltending Report
Pittsburgh’s Matt Murray has shown marked improvement in recent weeks to now have a save percentage of .916. Backup Casey DeSmith is also at .916.
For the Rangers Henrik Lundqvist has a save percentage of .907 with Alexander Georgiev at .905.
Players to Watch
New York center Mika Zibanejad has a team best 25 goals with 31 assists. Penguins center Sidney Crosby has 24 goals, 42 assists, with a plus 19.
Free NHL Game Picks
The Penguins have had the better of this series with 13 wins in their last 18 games against the Rangers. In the last 11 meetings between these two teams 10 have gone over the total. Pittsburgh also has five payouts in their last eight home games against New York. The last six games between these teams at Pittsburgh have gone over the total. With both teams lacking consistency, the Penguins still offer superior firepower and home ice advantage. Pittsburgh plays their best hockey at home and will have the best player on the ice.
NHL Live Betting Odds Picks: Pittsburgh Penguins
NHL Live Betting Odds Score Prediction: Penguins 4, Rangers 2
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