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The New York Rangers will attempt to stave off elimination as they face the Florida Panthers on Saturday in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. We're here to share our NHL odds series, make a Rangers-Panthers Game 6 prediction, and pick while showing you how to watch.
The Panthers defeated the Rangers 3-2 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals to put themselves one win away from a second consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final. Ultimately, they dominated several aspects of this game, which allowed them to snag the win.
But it did not start out this way, as Chris Kreider delivered a shorthanded goal on a breakaway to give the Rangers the 1-0 lead in the second period. However, the Panthers fought back when Sam Bennett faked out the New York defense and fed it to Gustav Forsling for a beautiful back-handed goal to tie the game.
It was 1-1 in the third period when Anton Lundell came through with a beautiful wrister to give the Panthers the 2-1 lead. Later, Bennett sealed this game with an empty-net goal to make it 3-1. Alexis Lafreniere gave the Rangers some life with a redirect of a shot from Mika Zibanejad. Unfortunately, it was too late, as the Rangers could not complete the comeback.
Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Stanley Cup Playoffs Odds: Rangers-Panthers Game 6 Odds
New York Rangers: +1.5 (-192)
Moneyline: +140
Florida Panthers: -1.5 (+158)
Moneyline: -170
Over: 5.5 (+108)
Under: 5.5 (-132)
How to Watch Rangers vs. Panthers Game 6
Time: 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT
TV: ABC, ESPN+, Sportsnet and CBS
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Rangers Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Rangers are winning faceoffs, as they won 60 percent of the draws. Yet, they are not doing enough to retain the puck long enough to fire enough shots. New York fired 27 at the Florida net. Overall, it was not enough to register more than two goals. The Rangers also struggled on the powerplay, going 0 for 3. Thus, they have a lot of work to do and will need their best players to rise to the occasion.
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Vincent Trocheck currently has eight playoff goals and 11 assists, including five powerplay conversions. Additionally, he has won 183 draws and lost 133. But Trocheck did not score in Game 5, as the Panthers held him in check. Meanwhile, Zibanejad finally broke through with two assists in Game 5. Zibanejad currently has three goals and 13 assists, including two markers on the powerplay. Also, Zibanejad has won 135 faceoffs and lost 131.
Artemi Panarin is one of the best players on this roster, with four goals and 10 assists in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Sadly, he did not register a point in Game 5. Lafreniere continues his playoff mastery with a goal in his third consecutive game. Now, he has eight goals and six assists in this postseason. Kreider scored a goal in Game 5. Currently, he has eight goals and three assists.
The defense again allowed too many shots despite blocking 20 shots and even throwing 30 hits. Somehow, they keep allowing the Panthers to fire over 30 shots and are not making it easy for their goalie. Igor Shesterkin is 10-5 with a 2,36 goals-against average and a save percentage of .924. Ultimately, he will attempt to keep the Rangers alive with a stellar performance.
The Rangers will cover the spread if they can retain possession of the puck and fire more shots. Then, their defense must do a better job of blocking shots and not allow the Cats to pounce so easily.
Why The Panthers Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Panthers are winning despite losing faceoffs, as they won just 40 percent of the draws. Regardless, their team is so persistent and the Cats have done everything possible to claw the puck out of the opposition. Florida also fired 37 shots on the net. Therefore, their offense kept humming as they had enough goals while winning the loose puck battles. It was more impressive that they won despite their best players doing little.
Matthew Tkachuk currently has five goals and 14 assists. Yet, he did not score in Game 5. Aleksander Barkov has six goals and 11 assists. Also, he has been strong in the faceoff circle, winning 156 draws and losing 135. But he also did not register a point in Game 5. Meanwhile, Carter Verhaege also did not score in Game 5 and remains at nine goals and eight assists. Sam Reinhart is still at eight goals and four assists after failing to register a point in Game 5. Finally, Forsling now has four goals and seven assists.
The defense has been solid, for the most part, as they blocked 17 shots and leveled 27 hits. Now, they hope to do more as they play in front of a hot goalie. Sergei Bobrovsky is now 11-5 with a 2.27 goals-against average and a save percentage of .905.
The Panthers will cover the spread if their offense continues to perform well. Then, the defense must continue to force turnovers.
Final Rangers-Panthers Game 6 Prediction & Pick
The Rangers must win this game, or else they will go home. So far, they are 5-2 on the road in the playoffs, including a Game 6 win over the Carolina Hurricanes which brought them to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Panthers are just 5-3 at home in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, including Game 5 against the Boston Bruins, where they failed to put them away on the first try. Expect the Rangers to come out firing as they do everything in their power to stay alive. Subsequently, they do enough to cover the spread.
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Final Rangers-Panthers Game 6 Prediction & Pick: New York Rangers: +1.5 (-192)
