The New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes are set to face off in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after dispatching their opponents in the opening series. The Rangers swept the Washington Capitals in four games while the Hurricanes took care of business against the New York Islanders. Let’s get right into our NHL playoffs odds, picks, and betting predictions for this Rangers vs. Hurricanes second-round series.
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NHL Playoffs Odds, Picks, & Predictions: New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes
Rangers vs. Hurricanes Odds
New York Rangers +140 | Carolina Hurricanes -155
Rangers +1.5 Games (-145) | Hurricanes -1.5 Games (+130)
Over 5.5 Games (-180) | Under 5.5 Games (+155)
The Rangers won the Metropolitan Division and the Presidents’ Trophy, yet they are fairly significant underdogs in this series. Odds of +140 imply a 41.67% probability, while -155 implies 60.78%.
Rangers vs. Hurricanes Picks & Predictions
The Rangers and Hurricanes have been on a crash course to meet in the second round of the playoffs for a while now. They were, far and away, the two best teams in the Metropolitan Division and they just needed to avoid stumbling in the first round against much inferior opponents. Both sides did just that and will now go head-to-head in this best-of-seven battle.
These teams met thrice in the regular season: The Rangers won 2-1 at home on November 2nd, the Hurricanes won 6-1 in New York on January 2nd, and, perhaps most importantly due to the timing, New York won 1-0 in Carolina on March 12th. That was one of just 10 losses (eight regulation losses) for the Hurricanes after the All-Star break (24-8-2).
We should see many more games like that in the playoffs. The Hurricanes play a low-scoring, grind-it-out style of hockey and the Rangers don’t generate much at 5-on-5. Igor Shesterkin has been the backbone of the Rangers in net while Frederik Andersen has turned it on in the playoffs for the Hurricanes.
Although the Rangers swept the Capitals, they weren’t exactly dominant. The Capitals outshot them 80-73 at 5-on-5 in the series and had a 79-59 advantage in scoring chances (31-22 high-danger). The Rangers had just 45.01% of the expected goals share, per Natural Stat Trick. But New York was able to capitalize on its chances with special teams and goaltending helping along the way.
On the flip side, the Hurricanes heavily outshot the Islanders (143-110) at 5-on-5 with 142-98 scoring chances as well. That helped them generate 54.74% of the expected goals share at 5-on-5 play in the series.
This should be a great series between two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Given how these teams match up, it’s kind of surprising to see Over 5.5 Games at just -180. All it takes is two wins from each side to guarantee a Game 6, and this could very well go to a Game 7 as well.
Ultimately, though, I expect the Hurricanes to win this series. They finally added some offensive firepower at the trade deadline, their defensive corps is strong, and Andersen is locking it down in the crease.
Rangers vs. Hurricanes Pick: Over 5.5 Games (-180)
Rangers vs. Hurricanes Prediction: Hurricanes in 6 Games (+400)
