The New Jersey Devils will attempt to close out the first-round series as they meet the New York Rangers for Game 6. We are at Madison Square Garden, sharing our NHL odds series, making a Devils-Rangers Game 6 prediction and pick while showing you how to watch.
The Devils shut out the Rangers 4-0 in Game 5 of the first-round series. Now, they are one win away from completing an improbable comeback after losing the first two games by 5-1 scores.
The Devils got the scoring started in the first period when Ondrej Palat picked the rebound off the faceoff and blasted it past Igor Shesterkin for a goal. Amazingly, it was his 50th career playoff goal. The Devils continued their scoring in the second period when Erik Haula capped a deflected shot into the net past a spinning Shesterkin. Then, New Jersey attacked again when Dawson Mercer broke off a steal and finished it off for a shorthanded goal to put the Devils up 3-0. Finally, they added another empty-net goal from Haula to finish off the victory.
Shesterkin allowed three goals but made 39 saves. However, no one could score to help him. Patrick Kane, Chris Kreider, Vladimir Tarasenko, Mika Zibanejad, and Artemi Panarin all combined for nine shots. Unfortunately, they could not get anything past Akira Schmid, who stopped all 23 shots for his first career playoff shutout.
The Rangers went 0 for 2 on the powerplay. Meanwhile, the Devils went 1 for 5 on the extra-man attack. The Rangers blocked 14 shots, while the Devils blocked 24 from reaching the net.
Here are the Devils-Rangers Game 6 NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Playoffs Odds: Devils-Rangers Game 6 Odds
New Jersey Devils: +1.5 (-240)
New York Rangers: -1.5 (+195)
Over: 5.5 (-102)
Under: 5.5 (-120)
How To Watch Devils vs. Rangers Game 6
TV: ABC & ESPN+
Stream: NHL
Time: 8 PM ET/5 PM PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Devils Could Cover The Spread
Something changed in Game 3. Yes, they changed goalies. But the offense slightly picked up the pace when their season was on the line. Now, they feel ready to put the Rangers away.
Jack Hughes has three goals. However, he has scored two of them over the past three games. Jesper Bratt has three assists and has notched some during the past three contests. Meanwhile, Haula had a great game and now has three goals and two assists in this series. Defenseman Dougie Hamilton has one goal and two assists. Amazingly, the offense has executed in areas where they failed in the first two games. After averaging one goal through the first two games, they have averaged three over the past three contests.
Schmid is the biggest change. Ultimately, he has helped give the Devils new life. Schmid is 3-0 with a goals-against average of 0.63 with a spectacular save percentage of .976. Furthermore, he has stopped 80 of the 82 shots he has faced. It is a stark contrast to Vitek Vanacek, who allowed nine goals in 52 shots. Likewise, the Devils have improved on defense. New Jersey allowed 10 goals through 2 games. Then, they allowed two tallies over their past three games.
The Devils will cover the spread if they can continue to thrive on the powerplay. Then, Schmid must continue his strong play.
Why The Rangers Could Cover The Spread
The Rangers were flying high after the first two games. Then, Game 3 happened, and the Devils made a goalie change. It ultimately proved to be a significant difference as the new goalie paid dividends. Unfortunately, the New York offense began to struggle.
Panarin has two assists. However, he has not scored anything over the past three games. Kane has one goal and five assists. Regardless, he has two assists and has not tallied a goal over the last three games. Adam Fox has six assists. Likewise, he has not scored a point over three contests. Kreider has five goals and one assist. Conversely, he has just one goal and one assist over three games. Zibanejad has two assists. Yet, he still searches for his first goal and has a mere assist over three games. The Rangers must rediscover their offense.
Shesterkin is 2-3 with a goals-against average of 1.75 with a save percentage of .937. However, he is 0-3 with a goals-against average of 2.22 with a save percentage of .924 over the past three games.
The Rangers will cover the spread if they can score early. Then, the Rangers must prevent mistakes, and Shesterkin must play better.
Final Devils-Rangers Game 6 Prediction & Pick
The Rangers have their backs to the walls. Therefore, they must pull out all the stops. Expect the offense to rise to the occasion and find a way to score off Schmid.
Final Devils-Rangers Game 6 Prediction & Pick: New York Rangers: -1.5 (+195)
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