The Carolina Hurricanes now have three chances to punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup playoffs as they head into Game 3 of the qualifying round up 2-0 on the New York Rangers. So far, everything has gone Carolina’s way. The Canes have jumped out to early leads and haven’t allowed the Blueshirts to find any sustained pressure. The Blueshirts will definitely shuffle the deck on Tuesday to try to get back in the series.

Hurricanes vs. Rangers NHL Playoffs Odds

Oddsmakers have the Hurricanes set as -150 favourites with a total of 5.5 for Game 3. Both games have played under the total in this tight-checking series. Early betting action has 70 percent of gamblers backing the Hurricanes to end the series and nearly 90 percent of bets are on the under.

Carolina Hurricanes

Carolina’s duo of Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov are putting on a show. They have combined for nine points in two games after Aho assisted on all three of Svechnikov’s goals on Monday. With firepower like that it gives a team a lot of wiggle room. Carolina’s defence has been excellent at keeping the Rangers out of prime scoring areas and Petr Mrazek has made some huge timely saves when tested. If the Hurricanes are able to get out to another lead in the first period, they could put this series to bed.

New York Rangers

The Rangers will have some lineup changes as they try to save their season. Brendan Lemieux returns after his two-game suspension and should provide a spark, while Henrik Lundqvist will likely be watching from the bench or the stands. The King’s play hasn’t been the only reason the Rangers find themselves in this hole, but he’d want two of Carolina’s four goals in Game 2 back. If Igor Sheshterkin isn’t ready to go it’ll be Alexandar Georgiev and either would be an upgrade at this point. The Rangers haven’t had a lead in this series and need to pick their game up across the board. David Quinn called out his top six forwards for being outplayed and they should respond to help the Blueshirts stay alive.

NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Hurricanes vs. Rangers?

HURRICANES

Away

2

RANGERS

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