Carolina Hurricanes vs New York Rangers Predictions, Odds, Picks

• The Carolina Hurricanes are on a four-game winning streak.
• The New York Rangers have won four of their last five games.
• The Hurricanes are 2-1-0 against the Rangers this season.

Carolina Hurricanes vs New York Rangers Odds

Odds taken from DraftKings Sportsbook.

Carolina Hurricanes vs New York Rangers Predictions and Picks

The Carolina Hurricanes will battle with the New York Rangers for the fourth and final time this season. These teams last faced each other on April 12, and the Hurricanes won 4-2 behind three third-period goals.

The Hurricanes will clinch the top spot in the Metropolitan Division with a win or loss in overtime. If they win their final two games, they will enter the playoffs with the second seed in the Eastern Conference. The Rangers will likely not overtake the Hurricanes for the top Metropolitan spot. However, they are still fighting for the third or (more likely) fourth spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Carolina Hurricanes have some solid offensive players in center Sebastian Aho and wingers Andrei Svechnikov and Teuvo Teravainen. Aho can score and create opportunities for his teammates. He has 79 points and plays over 19 minutes a game. Andrei Svechnikov plays a little less than Aho but still has 69 points. Svechnikov is only 22, so it is safe to say that he is will get much better in the years to come. Teuvo Teravainen is less of a scorer than Aho and Svechnikov but has 43 assists.

Carolina holds the honor of best defense in the NHL. They only give up 2.43 goals per game and kill over 87% of power-plays.

Carolina also has great goaltenders in Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta. Andersen is the starter, but Raanta is a well-used backup and has played in 27 games. Both of these netminders have been instrumental in leading a team to only give up 2.43 goals per game.

The New York Rangers are defensively almost as good as the Hurricanes. However, offensively, they are a little worse and score a little less.

The Rangers have some great playmakers in wingers Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider and center Mika Zibanejad. Panarin scores a little bit but is much more of a passer; his 74 assists are the third-most in the NHL. Chris Kreider is the opposite of Artemi Panarin. He is not much of a passer but has 51 goals. Finally, we have Mika Zibanejad. Zibanejad has 80 points and a +/- of 28.

Adam Fox leads the Rangers defense. Fox is a top defenseman in the NHL. He has 61 assists and plays almost 24 points a game.

The Rangers also have a top goaltender in Igor Shersterkin. Shesterkin has not played the most games in the league, but he is the most efficient netminder in the NHL. His 2.03 goals per game and .936 save percentage are the best in the league.

The Hurricanes are a little better than the Rangers and one point away from the top spot in the Metropolitan, so they will win in close fashion.

Pick:

Carolina Hurricanes beat New York Rangers 3-2. New York Rangers cover, Under 5.5 goals.

Why Might the Carolina Hurricanes Win?

The Carolina Hurricanes are the favorites but are only going to win if they get second-chance shots and ride the hot hand.

The Hurricanes will struggle to score if they do not second-chance shots. Second-chance shots are usually near the net and challenging for the goalie to save. If the Hurricanes attack the net and are ready to put back rebounds, they can put a few past the Rangers.

The Hurricanes are at that point of the season where they need to let unlikely heroes emerge. In their last game, that unlikely hero was Max Domi. It will probably not be Domi in this game, but there is a long list of players it could be. The Hurricanes need to let that player be the star, even if it is only for a short time.

Why Might the New York Rangers Win?

The New York Rangers need this win more than the Hurricanes but will only get it if they draw penalties and limit the Hurricanes shots.

The Rangers have the third-best power-play unit in the league. They need to draw penalties and get this unit on the ice. They can build a lead that way.

The Rangers are facing a Hurricanes squad that has a gift for shooting. The Hurricanes shoot over 34 times a game. The Rangers have to play smart and cannot let this happen.

Hurricanes Key Player: (RW) Andrei Svechnikov

Is anyone else not surprised that I picked Andrei Svechnikov? Svechnikov can do it all and knows how to score.

Svechnikov does not need to score in this game. However, if he cannot find the back of the net, he needs to set up his teammates with scoring opportunities.

Rangers Key Player: (G) Igor Shesterkin

Igor Shesterkin is a dominant goaltender and a brick wall in net. I do not need to go over his stats again, but I will say this. Shesterkin needs to bring his best stuff against the Hurricanes. The Hurricanes are a strong offensive team and score a lot.

How to Watch Carolina Hurricanes vs New York Rangers