Rangers vs. Maple Leafs prediction, odds, pick, how to watch
The Toronto Maple Leafs continue their home stand as they face the New York Rangers. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Rangers-Maple Leafs prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
The Rangers enter the game sitting at 21-7-1 on the year, the top mark in the Metropolitan Division. They have won three of their last four, with the only loss being to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Last time out, they faced the Bruins. After a scoreless first period, Trent Frederic scored in the second, to give the Bruins the 1-0 lead. In the third, Vincent Trockeck scored on the power play to tie the game, and he would score in overtime to give the Rangers the win. Meanwhile, Igor Shesterkin saved 21 of 22 shots in the winning effort.
Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs sit at 16-6-6 on the year and are second in the Atlantic Division. Last time out, they faced the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was an onslaught of goals for the Maple Leafs. They scored three times in the first period, and then another three times in the second. William Nylander added one in the third as seven different players scored goals for the Maple Leafs. Meanwhile, Martin Jones stopped all 38 shots he faced al the Maple Leafs won 7-0.
Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Rangers-Maple Leafs Odds
New York Rangers: -102
Toronto Maple Leafs: -118
Over: 6.5 (-114)
Under: 6.5 (-108)
How to Watch Rangers vs. Maple Leafs
Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT
TV: NHLPP/ESPN+
Why The Rangers Will Win
The Rangers are 13th in the NHL in goals scored per game this year, with 3.28 goals this year. This year, Artemi Panarin continued to lead the way. He is the leader in goals, assists, and points. Panarin comes in with 16 goals, 26 assists, and a total of 42 points this year. He has been great on the power play this season, with four goals and 15 assists this year on the power play. He is on a slight bit of a goal drought though, not scoring in his last five games, his longest streak of the season.
Meanwhile, Chris Kreider is tied with Panarin for the lead in goals this year. He comes in with 16 goals this year and eight assists, good for 24 points this season. That total places him fourth on the team this year. Kreider is the leader in power-play goals though, coming in with eight goals on the power play plus two assists. He also has two goals when shorthanded this year. Second on the team in points and assists this year is Vincent Trocheck. He comes into the game with eight goals and 19 assists on the year. That gives him 27 points while he has scored five on the power play, with five assists.
The Rangers have been solid on the power play this year. They are third in the NHL this year when on the power play, sitting with a 29.8 percent conversion rate and 28 power-play goals. They have also been solid when shorthanded this year, sitting sixth in the NHL with an 85.3 percent success rate on the penalty kill.
Igor Shesterkin is expected to be in goal once again for the Rangers in this game. He is 11-7-0 on the year with a 2.91 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage. This month has not been kind to him though. He has allowed 19 goals on 155 shots this month, good for a .877 save percentage and a 3.82 goals-against average. He is also 2-3-0 on the month.
Why The Maple Leafs Will Win
The Maple Leafs continue to be one of the best-scoring teams in the NHL this year. They are averaging 3.64 goals per game on the year, and that is second in the league. They have also scored 19 goals in their last three games. William Nylander is the team leader in points this year while sitting second on the team in goals. He enters the game with 15 goals on the year and 25 assists, good for 40 points. He has been solid on the power play as well, with five goals and nine assists on the man-advantage this year.
Meanwhile. Auston Matthews leads the team in goals this year. He enters the game with 23 goals on the season, with 12 assists, totaling 35 points. Like Nylander, he has been solid on the power play, coming in with seven power-play goals and four power-play assists. Third on the team in both goals and points, this year has been Mitchell Marner. He has 13 goals this year with 21 assists, good for 34 points. Like the others, the power play has been huge for him. He has three goals and seven assists this year on the power play.
The Toronto power lay has scored 22 times this year, good for a 25.9 percent success rate which is fifth in the NHL. Meanwhile, they are 18th in the NHL when shorthanded this year, sitting with an 80.0 percent success rate on the penalty kill.
Ilya Samsonov is expected to be in goal for the Maple Leafs today. He is 5-1-5 on the year with a 3.51 goals-against average and a .878 save percentage. After recording a shutout in his first start of the month, he has struggled in his last two. Samsonov has given up ten goals on 64 shots in the last two starts. That is good for a .831 save percentage in those two games, while he has lost both of them in overtime.
Final Rangers-Maple Leafs Prediction & Pick
The only time the Rangers have lost in their last four games was to the Maple Leafs. It is also the only time in their last four they game up more than one goal. The issue was the Rangers getting down early. They were down 4-1 in the first period, and it snowballed from there. Further, they had no answer for Auston Matthews in the game. The Maple Leafs are playing well. They have a nine-game points streak going, either winning or losing the game in overtime. They also have recorded points in 14 of their last 15 games. This should be another tight game, but the best bet here is on the total. The Rangers have allowed four or more goals in six of their last 11 games, while the Maple Leafs are scoring a ton.
Final Rangers-Maple Leafs Prediction & Pick: Over 6.5 (-114)
