New York Rangers Stanley Cup Playoff Preview

It can be a tricky business making NHL odds when teams are as equally matched as the Rangers and the Devils, but if the Rangers make it past the Devils, they could go a long way.

When the New York Rangers picked up Scott Gomez and Chris Drury last summer it was expected the team would get a big boost on offense. Instead, however, New York tallied 29 less goals this season, and they relied on strong defensive play to carry them through the schedule. And the result was a fifth-place finish in the Eastern Conference and a first-round series against the New Jersey Devils.

The Devils are actually the only team in the East that gave up fewer goals than the Rangers during the regular season, which sets up a strong matchup between New York’s Henrik Lundqvist and New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur in the first round. Lundqvist went 37-24-10 this year, with a 2.23 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage, and he also led the league with an impressive 10 shutouts.

Assuming Lundqvist can’t blank the opposition throughout the postseason, though, the Rangers are also going to have a find a way to score some goals. Gomez and Drury combined for 41 goals and 128 points in their first season with the Rangers, and Drury tied Jaromir Jagr for the team lead in goals with 25. For Jagr, though, that was part of only a 71-point campaign, which continued a decline that started two years ago.

Still, the Rangers will need Jagr to lead the way if they are going to knock off the rival Devils. Jagr will get some support from veteran forwards Martin Straka and Brendan Shanahan, while rookie Brandon Dubinsky had 40 points in his first full season in the league. Super-pest Sean Avery managed to score 15 goals in 57 games this year.

On the blueline, Michal Rozsival chipped in with 38 points and six power-play goals this season, youngster Daniel Girardi broke out with 10 goals, and Marc Staal is quickly establishing himself as a shutdown defender. As well, the Rangers boasted the best penalty kill in the Eastern Conference.

And if you like to look at historical trends before you do your NHL betting, you probably already know that New York beat New Jersey seven times in eight meetings during the regular season. That tidbit alone boosts the Rangers’ odds to win the 2008 Stanley Cup, and makes them a more desirable target for hockey betting this week. It”ll be up to Lundqvist and Jagr to pay off for their supporters with a first-round win.