The New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils appear to be on a collision course, but before they meet in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the two Metropolitan Division rivals have some unfinished business.
The Devils will check into Thursday’s matchup as the No. 2 seed in the Metro, but they’re only two points ahead of the Blueshirts with eight games remaining for each club.
In other words, the result of Thursday’s game will go a long way in deciding which team gets home-ice advantage in Round 1.
Rangers vs. Devils prediction
(7 p.m. ET. ESPN+)
The Devils have been one of the most consistent teams in the NHL all season, but they do find themselves in a bit of a rut lately.
New Jersey is just 4-4-2 in its last 10 games, but the Devils should feel OK about how they’re playing.
New Jersey has skated to a -2 goal differential at 5-on-5 over its last 10, but a lot of the mediocrity can be attributed to poor finishing.
According to Natural Stat Trick, the Devils have produced 28.3 expected goals over their last 10 games – the third-best mark in the NHL in that span – but have scored just 19 times.
New Jersey is a deep team with plenty of scoring punch, so you’d expect that some positive regression is on the way for a team that is shooting just 6.9% at 5-on-5 during this 4-4-2 stretch.
The Rangers are experiencing a bit of the opposite phenomenon.
While the Devils are posting terrific possession numbers at 5-on-5, the Rangers are below-average in shot attempt rate, expected goals percentage, and high-danger scoring chance share in the last 10 games.
But this is nothing new for the Blueshirts, who have no problem winning games in which they are out-chanced. Case and point? New York is 8-1-1 in its last 10 games.
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So while the Devils may be the team more likely to tilt the ice in this matchup, the Rangers will still be dangerous as they look to sit back and counter quickly, or do their damage on the power play.
Based on its statistical portfolio and the fact that they are on home ice, the Devils are rightfully favored in this spot, but the Rangers are live as an underdog in what should be a terrific contest at the Rock.
Rangers vs. Devils pick
Rangers +115 (PointsBet)
