Islanders plus $1.05 at Rangers
Sure going 7-2 in their last nine games looks good. That’s what the Rangers have done. Consider this though: The Rangers played the three bottom teams in the East – Sabres, Flyers and Devils – in eight of those nine games. The one matchup that didn’t involve any of those three teams was against the Islanders. The Rangers lost that game, 6-1.
Rarely did the Rangers have to play strong hockey for an entire 60 minutes during this span facing such weak competition. The Sabres have the fewest points in the NHL, while the Devils are tied for the second-fewest points.
The Rangers are averaging four goals per game in its last 10 games. Note, however, the Flyers give up the most goals per game in the NHL. The Devils rank third-from-the-bottom defensively and the Sabres are the fourth-worst defensive team.
The Islanders, by contrast, have the No. 3 defense in the NHL giving up 2.3 goals a game. I don’t see the Rangers maintaining their high-scoring ways going against a much superior and well-coached opponent.
The Islanders are in stop-the-pain mode, losers of three in a row. All three of these defeats, however, came to the powerful Capitals, two of which were 1-0 losses. Washington is tied for the fourth-most points in the NHL.
The oddsmaker is anticipating a tight game with the Rangers opening a small favorite. The Rangers have a league-low .211 winning percentage in one-goal games. They also have lost 18 of the past 26 times to the Islanders.
So I’ll take the Islanders at this plus price.
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