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Carrie Stroup here with your Rangers vs. Penguins betting line for Wednesday night New York +120, Pittsburgh -140, Total: 5
New York Rangers (30-18-5) at Pittsburgh Penguins (27-18-7)
The Rangers will be going for a fourth straight victory when they face Sidney Crosby and the Penguins on Wednesday.
A mid-season coaching change and tepid production from Sidney Crosby seemed to suggest that this simply wasn’t going to be Pittsburgh’s year. But the Penguins have showed a renewed enthusiasm under new coach Mike Johnson, winning six of their last seven games, and Crosby (24 G, 29 A, 53 PTS) has tallied seven goals and 12 points already this month. For a Rangers squad that is missing its most potent offensive weapon, Rick Nash (12 G, 21 A, 33 PTS), and its best overall skater, Ryan McDonagh (7 G, 19 A, 26 PTS), these are troubling numbers.
The Rangers are on a bit of an upswing themselves, having rebounded from an abysmal December that derailed a torrid start to their season. New York has won three straight games, but play on the road has been an issue all season; the Rangers are 4-13 SU in their last 17 road games. That said, the Rangers—who beat the Penguins in the first round of last season’s playoffs—have had Pittsburgh’s number of late. New York is 6-1 SU in their seven meetings with the Penguins; including 5-1 SU in their last six games at Pittsburgh.
One area where Pittsburgh should have a decisive edge is in special teams. Both the Rangers’ penalty kill and power play are floundering; New York is last in the league in power-play goals per game, with 0.5, and has generated the third fewest power-play chances per game, with 2.7. Against teams that have averaged less than four power plays per game in the second half of the season, the Penguins are 8-4 against the spread.
The Penguins are missing one of their own stars, Evgeni Malkin (23 G, 26 A, 49 PTS). The explosive offensive talent was ruled out for this week with a lower-body injury. One under-the-radar player to watch is Carl Hagelin (5 G, 13 A, 18 PTS), the former Ranger and recent Pittsburgh acquisition whose speed adds an entirely new dynamic to this top-heavy team. The Penguins boast strong records ATS after having won three of their previous four games (9-3), after having won four of their previous five games (8-2), and after having won five or six of their previous seven games (7-4).
As strong as Crosby’s play has been of late, the hottest player in this game may be the Rangers’ J.T. Miller (17 G, 13 A, 30 PTS). The 22-year-old center has scored eight goals in his last eight games and has given the Rangers a much-needed influx in their top six forwards. Keith Yandle (4 G, 24 A, 28 PTS), who leads the team in assists, is playing his best hockey of the season and is embracing the additional ice time given McDonagh’s injury. But ultimately, this game seems destined to boil down to the play of Henrik Lundqvist (2.37 GAA, .921 SV%). The veteran has surrendered two or fewer goals in nine of his last 11 games.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
