Vancouver Canucks vs. New York Rangers Prediction, NHL Odds
The Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers face off for the first time this season, Wednesday night at the historic Madison Square Garden. Both teams went into extra time in their first game back from the All-Star break on Monday night suffering different fates in their return to play.
The Rangers are a heavy -251 favourite to win on the NHL odds with the total set at 6.5.
Canucks vs. Rangers NHL Betting Odds
The Canucks have dominated in matchups versus the Rangers in seasons past, winning in each of the past five head-to-heads. That’s also a stretch that played the Under 4-1. New York last beat Vancouver in November of the 2018-19 season, which was played at Madison Square Garden. Canucks forward J.T. Miller, who spent six seasons with the Rangers, has scored nine points (4G 5A) in nine games versus his former team. New York’s Mika Zibanejad has scored 14 points (6G 8A) in 16 career meetings with the Canucks.
Vancouver covered the spread and played the Over in their return to action in New Jersey on Monday night, evening their record ATS to 25-25 this season. In their past 10 games they have a 3-3-4 record on the total, bringing them to 27-16-7. New head coach Rick Tocchet has been behind the Canucks bench for four games now and has covered the spread in three of those matchups, while playing the Over 2-0-2.
New York played the over as well in their first game back. It was just their third time playing the Over in their last 10 games and they are 21-28-1 on the total overall. The Rangers are allowing only 2.6 goals per game through 50 games, third-best mark in the NHL, and they have surrendered just 131 goals this season, the second-best mark in the league. They covered the spread in each of their past three games before Monday night but are still just 24-26 ATS. About 77 per cent of early bettors are taking the Rangers to win as the heavy favourites on tonight’s moneyline.
Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver opened the scoring Monday night in New Jersey on Andrei Kuzmenko’s 22nd goal of the season just over three minutes into the game. The Canucks kind of fell asleep at the wheel after this and gave up four consecutive goals by the halfway point of the game.
The secondary scoring would then step up big for Vancouver as goals from Luke Schenn ( third of the season), Curtis Lazar (second) and Phillip Di Giuseppe (first) would drag the team back into the game and force overtime.
In extra time, Kuzmenko was sent to the box for hooking and the Devils would convert on the man advantage to win the game with just 42 seconds left.
Anthony Beauvillier registered two shots while skating 17:58 on the top line in his Canucks debut. Tocchet now has a 2-1-1 record behind the bench in Vancouver after being hired just before the All Star break.
New York Rangers
Alexis Lafreniere scored the overtime winner for the Rangers at home on Monday night, capping off a heated game versus the Calgary Flames. Filip Chytil opened the scoring in the game and put the Rangers back in front again in the second with his second of the game and 18th of the season after the Flames responded late in the first. Mika Zibanejad would then score a pair of goals (23rd, 24th) to help force the game to overtime. Jaroslav Halak made 28 saves and won his sixth in a row, giving Igor Shesterkin a night off after his performance at the NHL’s All-Star weekend.
Rangers Captain Jacob Trouba left his mark on the game, delivering two massive hits and receiving two fighting majors. Both hits and both fights put the Rangers on the power play, one of which they converted, getting the home crowd even more fired up.
New York will be looking for its third win in a row to increase their lead on Washington for third place in the Metro Division.
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