N.Y. Rangers vs. Washington Capitals Prediction, Preview, and Odds
New York is off to a great start as the Rangers are 18-5-1 which is good for first place in the Eastern Conference. New York is coming off a surprising 6-2 loss to the Senators which snapped their three-game win streak. The Rangers, meanwhile, are 10-3-1 on the road this season with a goal differential of +11.The Rangers have been solid offensively this season as New York averages 3.38 goals per game which ranks ninth in the NHL, while the Rangers are averaging 30.21 shots per game. New York, meanwhile, has a power play of 29.7% which ranks third while the Rangers are allowing 2.71 goals per game which ranks eighth, and their penalty kill ranks eighth at 84.8%.
New York will be without Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil, and Ben Harpur.
Washington is currently 12-8-3 which is good for 10th in the East but is coming off three straight losses. The Capitals have struggled offensively this season as Washington is averaging 2.35 goals per game which ranks 31st while their power play is dead-last in the NHL at nine percent. The Caps, meanwhile, are allowing 3.00 goals per game which ranks 13th and their penalty kill is 77.8% which ranks 21st.During the losing streak, the Capitals' offense has continued to struggle but defensively, Washington has given up plenty of high-danger chances. The Caps have been outscored 15-5 on the losing streak including being shutout in one game. At home, meanwhile, Washington is 7-4-1 but has a negative eight-goal differential.
The Caps will be without T.J. Oshie, Max Pacioretty, Nicklas Backstrom, and Cam Allen.
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The under is also the way to go in this game as Washington struggles to score while the Rangers have one of the best goalies in the NHL and play sound defensively. The Capitals will struggle to get chances, and them being shut out is a very real possibility here. This season, New York is 13-11 in hitting the under while Washington is 15-8 in hitting the under and 9-4 in hitting it at home. This will likely be a 4-1, 3-0 kind of game.
