Game 1 Carolina Hurricanes vs New York Rangers Predictions, Odds & Betting Trends

Jan 2, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba (8) flips the puck past Carolina Hurricanes left wing Sebastian Aho (20) during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY SportsGame 1 of Hurricanes vs Rangers goes Sunday afternoon (May 5)The Round 2 NHL Playoff odds favor Carolina to take a 1-0 series leadRead below for Hurricanes vs Rangers prediction, odds, and analysis

The Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers begin their Round 2 NHL Playoff series on Sunday afternoon. Game 1 puck drop is at 4:00 PM ET from Madison Square Garden in New York. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.

The Hurricanes enter as slight -115 moneyline favorites, with the Rangers at -105. The over/under is set at 5.5 goals for a potential goalie duel between Freddie Andersen and Igor Shesterkin.

Let’s dive into our Canes vs Rangers Game 1 prediction, as we break down the odds and trends.

Game 1 Hurricanes vs Rangers Odds

Carolina is a slight road favorite in the Game 1 odds at -115, which means they have 53.5% implied win probability.

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Odds as of May 4, 2024. Check out the available Fanatics betting promo for Canes vs Rangers.

Canes vs Rangers Recent History

These teams met in the second round two years ago, with the Rangers prevailing in seven hard-fought games. The home team won each of the first six games before the Rangers took Game 7 on the road 6-2. Igor Shesterkin outdueled Frederik Andersen in that series.

The Rangers won two of the three regular-season meetings, including the only matchup in Carolina. The teams split the two games at MSG, with the “over” and “under” each cashing once.

Hurricanes Round 1 Recap

The Hurricanes made quick work of the New York Islanders in the first round, dispatching them in five games. After taking a commanding 3-0 series lead with wins of 3-1, 5-3, and 3-2, the Canes dropped Game 4 on Long Island 3-2 before closing things out with a dominant 6-3 victory at home in Game 5.

Carolina’s offense was firing on all cylinders, racking up 19 goals in the five games led by Seth Jarvis (3 goals, 4 assists), Martin Necas (1 goal, 4 assists), and Andrei Svechnikov (1 goal, 4 assists). Evgeny Kuznetsov, acquired at the trade deadline, chipped in two goals and two assists.

KUZNETSOV HIT EM WITH THE 'CONTROLLER DISCONNECTED' MOVE ON THE PENALTY SHOT 🥵 pic.twitter.com/tr9HxVvr7w

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 1, 2024

The power play was lethal, converting at a 27.3% clip. Carolina’s big edge in this series, however, will be at five-on-five. The Canes lead the NHL in Corsi For % (59.6%), Scoring Chances For % (58.1%), and Expected Goals For % (56.9%), while the Rangers were middle of the pack in those metrics.

Defensively, the Canes allowed just 12 goals, with Frederik Andersen posting a 2.25 GAA and .912 save percentage. The penalty kill was a perfect 11-for-11. Brady Skjei led the blue line with five assists.

2024 NHL Playoff Bracket: Seedings, Round 1 Matchups & ScheduleRead More

Rangers Round 1 Recap

The Rangers made even quicker work of the Capitals, sweeping them in four straight. They took the first two at Madison Square Garden 4-1 and 4-3 before winning Games 3 and 4 in Washington 3-1 and 4-2.

Mika Zibanejad led the way offensively with one goal and six assists, while 2022 trade deadline acquisition Vincent Trocheck contributed three goals and three assists.

TROCHECK GIVES THE RANGERS A TWO GOAL LEAD 🤌 pic.twitter.com/s8rkZMLKBS

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 27, 2024

The power play clicked at a 33.3% rate with Trocheck scoring twice with the man advantage. Chris Kreider and Artemi Panarin were relatively quiet with two goals and one assist each.

Igor Shesterkin was brilliant in net, going 4-0 with a 1.75 GAA and .931 save percentage. The penalty kill was also stellar at 88.9%. Defensively, Adam Fox had two assists and blocked 13 shots, while Jacob Trouba dished out 17 hits and blocked 21 shots.

Game 1 Rangers vs Hurricanes Prediction

For Game 1, expect a feeling-out process between two teams that know each other well. Goals could be at a premium against Shesterkin and Andersen. The under 5.5 is our pick, as four of the past five games in this rivalry stayed under the total. The Canes also cashed the under four times in Round 1 vs. the Isles.

In contrast to the last time these two teams met in the postseason, the New York Rangers hold home-ice advantage. However, the Hurricanes were one of the best road teams during the regular season, with 26 victories away from PNC Center.

We’re taking Carolina in the Rangers vs Hurricanes series odds, as we forecast that the Canes’ 5-on-5 dominance will be too much for the Rangers over the course of the series. However, for Game 1, stick to the game total. The last Game 1 between these clubs only featured three total goals, and we forecast another goalie duel on Sunday.

Game 1 CAR vs NYR Pick:

Under 5.5 Goals (-122)

 

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