Rangers vs Hurricanes Odds & Prediction: New York Tries To Even The Score

The Carolina Hurricanes (59-23-8) rallied for a 2-1 overtime victory over the New York Rangers (56-26-8) in the opener of their second-round series and will look to claim a second straight win at home on Friday night before heading to the Big Apple. The Rangers vs Hurricanes prediction for Game 2 sides with the hosts but the Rangers have already proved they’re capable of coming from behind to win a series and would love to steal a win on the road to even the series 1-1.

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Rangers vs Hurricanes Odds & Analysis

Sportsbook Odds 

Oddsmakers are heavily favoring Carolina to win Game 2 at home but bettors won’t have to stick with their Sportsbook odds of -189 as the Hurricanes can now be found at some sportsbooks at -164, which represents a great increase in value if you’re liking the home team. Meanwhile, the Rangers are available at +157 on the road.

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Strong Finish Needed From Rangers

New York got a first-period goal from Filip Chytil and it looked like it might hold up as the Sportsbook in a tightly contested Game 1 until the Hurricanes turned the tide in the third period. Sebastian Aho notched the equalizer with under three minutes to go in regulation time and Ian Cole ended it in overtime.

The close-checking affair was a departure from the Rangers’ wild Round 1 encounter with the Penguins in which they rallied from a 3-1 deficit in a high-scoring series that saw Igor Shesterkin chased from the net twice. After the free-for-all against Pittsburgh, the Rangers have given up a playoff-worst 31 goals but they were the NHL’s second-stingiest team in the regular season, trailing only the Hurricanes.

Shesterkin stopped 24 of 26 shots on Wednesday night and couldn’t be faulted for either Hurricanes goal – Aho put home a rebound of his own shot to tie things up in the third and Cole’s Sportsbook deflected off Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren. The Vezina Trophy favorite will need to continue to be a difference-maker and the Rangers will have to finish more strongly if they want to come out on top. 

Hurricanes Hoping For Six Straight Home Wins

The Hurricanes escaped with a Game 1 victory despite being dominated for much of the contest. Veteran defenseman Ian Cole, who scored two goals in 75 regular-season games, was the overtime hero when his shot from the top of the faceoff circle changed direction and eluded Shesterkin.

Carolina outlasted the Boston Bruins in the first round by winning four times on home ice and the Hurricanes will be shooting for their sixth straight victory at home in the playoffs on Friday night and their eighth consecutive victory overall at PNC Arena.

Antti Raanta stopped 27 of 28 shots in Game 1 and will continue to carry the load between the pipes for the Hurricanes with starter Frederik Andersen still sidelined. Andersen and Raanta backstopped Carolina to the best defensive record in the NHL during the regular season as the Hurricanes gave up an NHL-low 200 goals and had the league’s top penalty-killing unit.

Rangers vs Hurricanes Pick & Insights

Rangers: Keys To Victory 

The Rangers vs Hurricanes prediction foresees another tight defensive game as the two teams with the fewest goals allowed during the regular season go head-to-head in Game 2. Keep an eye on forward Mika Zibanejad, who is accustomed to playing well on the road with six points in three road games against the Pens. 

Hurricanes: Keys To Victory

A better start to the game would certainly benefit the Hurricanes, who won three of four regular-season matchups with the Rangers. They also need to make better decisions with the puck, as turnovers were costly in Game 1. Cole was the unlikely hero in the opener but the Hurricanes rely on a balanced offensive attack – they had 11 players with 10 or more goals in the regular season.

NHL Computer Pick: Hurricanes -175

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