Boston Bruins vs New York Rangers: Bruins with Opportunity to Push Win Streak to Seven

• The Boston Bruins are on a six-game winning streak.
• The New York Rangers are on a three-game winning streak.
• The Rangers were 2-1-0 against the Bruins last season.

Boston Bruins vs New York Rangers Odds

Odds Taken from FanDuel Sportsbook

Boston Bruins vs New York Rangers Picks

Boston Bruins beat New York Rangers 4-3

Boston Bruins cover

Over 6 goals

Head-to-Head: Boston Bruins vs New York Rangers

Boston Bruins vs New York Rangers Predictions

The Boston Bruins will head to New York City to face the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. 

The Bruins are coming off a decent season that saw them lose to the Carolina Hurricanes in the First Round of the Playoffs. On the other side, the New York Rangers are coming off a season where they made a deep Playoff run. They were Stanley Cup contenders but were knocked out in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Bruins are the best team in hockey right now. They are on a six-game losing streak and have not lost a game since October 18. Their winning streak will eventually end, but not be today.

Boston has only played nine games but has seen tremendous production from David Pastrnak, Hampus Lindholm, Patrice Bergeron, and Jake DeBrusk. David Pastrnak may be an average-sized winger, but he knows when to make the right plays. The 25-year-old has 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists), and is playing almost 20 minutes a game. Hampus Lindholm has become the Bruins’ top defenseman. He leads the team with his TOI of 24:19 and has eight assists. Patrice Bergeron is a veteran center, but he still knows how to improve his team. The 37-year-old has ten points (four goals, six assists) and a +/- of eight. Finally, we come to Jake DeBrusk. DeBrusk is the quietest of these four players but still has five assists and a +/- of six. 

The Bruins know how to score, but they also have great goaltending. Linus Ullmark is their #1 netminder and will continue to be if he keeps playing the way he has been. Ullmark is 7-0, has a save percentage of .932, and only gives up 2.20 goals per game. The Swedish goalie is a brick wall in net and incredibly important to the Bruins’ success.

The Rangers, like the Bruins, are off to a hot start. However, their offense can get sluggish at times.

The Rangers have three players that stand out from the rest: Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and Adam Fox. Artemi Panarin is a smaller winger who players over 20 minutes game. He leads the Rangers in points (16) and assists (11). Mika Zibanejad is the top center on the Rangers and has 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 11 games. Adam Fox is the sole defenseman in this group. He has cemented himself as a top player at his position over the last few seasons and will likely continue in that role this year. The Long Island native has seven assists and leads the team in TOI at 24:32.

Igor Shesterkin is the primary netminder in New York. Shesterkin is 6-0 and has a .921 save percentage. He is excellent in net and rarely has a bad game.

The Bruins are hotter right now than the Rangers and have a few more weapons, so I would bet on them to win.

Why Might the Boston Bruins Win?

The Bruins are the better team but are not favored to win. However, they can if they slow down Artemi Panarin and play tough defense. 

Panarin is a great passer and sets the offensive tone for this Rangers’ squad. If the Bruins can limit his role and force him to give up the puck, the Rangers’ offense will sputter.

The Bruins have excellent defensemen and only give up 2.6 goals per game. However, they have faced some offensively challenged teams this season. The Boston defense simply needs to play to the best of their ability. If they do, they will be in a great position.

Why Might the New York Rangers Win?

The New York Rangers are the favorites but will only leave Madison Square Garden victorious if they avoid committing penalties and get second-chance shots.

The Rangers are facing a Bruins team that is converting almost 25% of their power plays. A little more than 20% of Boston’s goals have come with a man advantage. The Rangers cannot allow that to happen and must avoid committing penalties.

The Rangers’ offense is solid, but they have had a few games where they have scored very few goals. However, they can remedy this but swarming the net and getting second-chance shots.

Bruins Key Players: (C) Patrice Bergeron

Patrice Bergeron has something very few Bruins have. That something is veteran experience. Bergeron needs to bring that to this game and help his teammates as much as possible. The French-Canadian may be the difference between a win and a loss.

Rangers Key Player: (D) Adam Fox

Adam Fox leads the Rangers' defense and is very good at it. His leadership will be paramount in this game, as the Rangers face a Bruins team that averages 4.40 goals a game. The Bruins will struggle to score goals if Fox leads the defense well.

How to Watch Boston Bruins vs New York Rangers

• Where: Madison Square Garden, New York
• When: Thursday, November 3, 7:30 PM EST
• How to Watch: ESPN+, Hulu