Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers Matchup

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Madison Square Garden will play host to a Metro Division showdown as the New York Rangers take the ice against the visiting Carolina Hurricanes. The matchup will get underway at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, March 12, and you’ll be able to catch the game live on MSG Network.

Carolina Hurricanes at New York Rangers Odds

With a moneyline of -145, Carolina enters the contest as the substantial favorite. The line for New York sits at +125, and the oddsmakers have put the Over/Under (O/U) at an even 6 goals (-120 for the under, +100 for the over).

Losing -9.3 units for moneyline bettors, New York is 30-39 straight up (SU) overall in the 2017-18 season. That early-season winning percentage is a noticeable slide from what the team recorded during last year’s regular season (48-34). Of its 69 games this season, 36 have gone over the total, while 31 have gone under and just two have pushed. The team is 18-17 SU at home this season.

The Rangers have converted on 20.2 percent of their power play chances this season, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked eighth overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 82.9 percent of all penalties.

As a collective unit, the Rangers have been called for penalties just 3.5 times per game overall this season, 3.0 per game over their past five games total, and 3.2 per game over their last five at home. The team’s had to kill penalties for just 8.0 minutes per game over their last 10 matchups, overall.

Averaging 29.2 saves per game with a .916 save percentage, Henrik Lundqvist (25 wins, 33 losses, and six OT losses) has been the primary option in goal for New York this year. If the Broadway Blueshirts, however, decide to give him the night off, New York might roll with Ondrej Pavelec (5-11-11 record, .910 save percentage, 3.01 goals against average).

Vladislav Namestnikov and Mats Zuccarello will both be offensive focal points for the Rangers. Namestnikov (46 points) has put up 21 goals and 25 assists and has recorded two or more points on 10 different occasions this year. Zuccarello has 12 goals and 34 assists to his credit and has notched at least one point in 35 games.

On the other bench, Carolina is 30-38 straight up (SU) and has lost 12.7 units for bettors taking the moneyline thus far. Through 68 regular season contests, 38 of its games have gone under the total, while 28 have gone over and just two have pushed. As the visiting team, the Hurricanes are 14-20 SU.

The Hurricanes have converted on 19.1 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 22nd overall and it’s successfully killed off 78.3 percent of all opponent power plays.

Carolina’s players have been called for penalties only 2.8 times per game this season, 2.4 per game over their past five contests total, and 2.6 per game over their last five road outings. The team has had to kill penalties just 6.0 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.

Cam Ward (.907 save percentage and 2.70 goals against average) has been the primary option in goal for Carolina. Ward is averaging 24.8 saves per game and has 19 wins, 17 losses, and four overtime losses to his credit.

For the visiting Hurricanes, the offense will be coordinated by Teuvo Teravainen (19 goals, 34 assists) and Sebastian Aho (24 goals, 28 assists).

Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers Free Picks

Free Pick: SU Winner – Rangers, O/U – Under

Betting Notes

  • New York is 3-5 in games decided by a shootout this season while Carolina is 3-3 in shootouts.
  • The under has hit in three of New York’s last five games.
  • The Hurricanes have averaged the league’s fifth-most shots on goal (34.2) while New York has attempted just the 20th-most (31.6).
  • New York has scored just 2.0 goals per game (while giving up 4.0) on its three-game losing streak.
  • Over Carolina’s last ten games, six of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 2-4 in those games).