The New York Rangers have been almost invincible at Madison Square Garden this season as they welcome the San Jose Sharks for their lone visit of the year Friday.

New York is a -203 favourite to win on the NHL odds with a total of 5.5 goals.

Sharks vs. Rangers NHL Betting Odds

Friday is the first of two meetings between the teams with the Rangers headed to San Jose on Jan. 13. They didn’t meet last season. New York won both in the 2019-20 season.

San Jose remains without one of the more talented scorers in the league in Evander Kane, but he’ll likely never play for that franchise again because of all his off-the-ice issues. Kane’s 21-game suspension recently ended and the team placed him on waivers. If Kane’s contract wasn’t so big, he would have been claimed by someone but he is now with the AHL’s Barracuda. San Jose is hoping to trade him and is willing to eat some salary. Some team is going to take a shot on a guy who led the Sharks with 22 goals and 27 assists in 56 games last season.

This is the second half of a back-to-back for San Jose and the front end for New York, so that will affect the goaltending choices. The underdog is 5-1 in the past six meetings.

San Jose Sharks

San Jose is 3-0 on its five-game road trip following a 2-1 overtime win at the New York Islanders on Thursday in the Isles’ return from a COVID layoff. Former Ottawa Senator Erik Karlsson’s fifth goal of the season was the winner at 0:39 of overtime. Nick Bonino (third of season) had the other goal. Bonino didn’t have a point in his first 18 games of the season but now has a goal in three of his past five. Timo Meier finished with two assists and has six points during a three-game point streak. How rare is this: San Jose was not called for a single penalty. Backup Adin Hill was in net Thursday, so it should be former Maple Leaf James Reimer for this one. He has been excellent with an 8-4-1 record, 2.06 GAA and .934 SV. The Sharks are 1-9 in their past 10 playing a fourth game in six nights.

New York Rangers

We projected the Rangers to win 3-2 over visiting Philadelphia on Wednesday and it was 4-1, the Blueshirts’ fourth straight victory to improve to 6-1-1 at home. New York is one of three teams in the NHL (Wild and Leafs the others) with three separate four-plus-game winning streaks this year. The Rangers have yet to win five in a row. Their six-game winning streak at Madison Square Garden is their longest since early in the 2017 season. Red-hot Chris Kreider had his team-best 16th goal of the season Wednesday. No other Rangers player has more than five goals but five players have at least 14 points. Igor Shesterkin made 11 saves in the first period, 15 in the second and seven in the third to improve to 12-3-2 with a 2.15 GAA. It appears as if he will start this one and then Alexandar Georgiev on Saturday vs. Chicago. The Rangers are a stellar 11-0-1 this season in games they haven’t allowed a power-play goal.

NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Sharks vs. Rangers?

• Regular Season
• Playoffs

Sharks Team Leaders

SJ

Points	Timo Meier 76
+ / -	Sasha Chmelevski 2
Shots	Timo Meier 326
Penalty Mins	Jeffrey Viel 114
Wins	James Reimer 19
GAA	Adin Hill 2.66

NYR

Points	Artemi Panarin 96
+ / -	Mika Zibanejad 30
Shots	Chris Kreider 258
Penalty Mins	Jacob Trouba 88
Wins	Igor Shesterkin 36
GAA	Keith Kinkaid 2

SJ

Points
+ / -
Shots	Did not qualify
Penalty Mins
Wins
GAA

NYR

Points	Mika Zibanejad 24
+ / -	Ryan Lindgren 8
Shots	Mika Zibanejad 63
Penalty Mins	Jacob Trouba 25
Wins	Igor Shesterkin 10
GAA	Alexandar Georgiev 2.04

• Regular Season
• Playoffs

Rangers Team Leaders

SJ

Points	Timo Meier 76
+ / -	Sasha Chmelevski 2
Shots	Timo Meier 326
Penalty Mins	Jeffrey Viel 114
Wins	James Reimer 19
GAA	Adin Hill 2.66

NYR

Points	Artemi Panarin 96
+ / -	Mika Zibanejad 30
Shots	Chris Kreider 258
Penalty Mins	Jacob Trouba 88
Wins	Igor Shesterkin 36
GAA	Keith Kinkaid 2

SJ

Points
+ / -
Shots	Did not qualify
Penalty Mins
Wins
GAA

NYR

Points	Mika Zibanejad 24
+ / -	Ryan Lindgren 8
Shots	Mika Zibanejad 63
Penalty Mins	Jacob Trouba 25
Wins	Igor Shesterkin 10
GAA	Alexandar Georgiev 2.04

Injuries

San Jose

Jeffrey Viel (LW)

Prob Thurs Undisclosed - 17 / 04 / 22

Jaycob Megna (D)

Ques Tues Head - 17 / 04 / 22

Alexander Barabanov (LW)

Prob Sat Upper Body - 16 / 04 / 22

Erik Karlsson (D)

out for season Lower Body - 16 / 04 / 22

Radim Simek (D)

Out indefinitely Lower Body - 16 / 04 / 22

John Leonard (LW)

out for season Lower Body - 06 / 04 / 22

Jonah Gadjovich (LW)

Prob Tues Hand - 06 / 04 / 22

Jonathan Dahlen (C)

Prob Sat Upper Body - 28 / 03 / 22

Jonah Gadjovich (LW)

Ques Tues Undisclosed - 28 / 03 / 22

Logan Couture (C)

Prob Tues Upper Body - 25 / 03 / 22

NY Rangers

Filip Chytil (C)

Ques Thurs Upper Body - 07 / 06 / 22

Barclay Goodrow (RW)

Prob Tues Lower Body - 06 / 06 / 22

Ryan Strome (C)

Ques Thurs Lower Body - 05 / 06 / 22

Barclay Goodrow (RW)

Prob Mon Lower Body - 30 / 05 / 22

Ryan Lindgren (D)

day-to-day Undisclosed - 30 / 05 / 22

Ryan Lindgren (D)

Prob Fri Lower Body - 19 / 05 / 22

Barclay Goodrow (RW)

Out indefinitely Lower Body - 05 / 05 / 22

Ryan Lindgren (D)

Out Wed Lower Body - 04 / 05 / 22

Keith Kinkaid (G)

Out indefinitely Upper Body - 03 / 05 / 22

Artemi Panarin (LW)

Prob Tues Upper Body - 26 / 04 / 22

Injuries

San Jose

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Jeffrey Viel (LW)	Prob Thurs	Undisclosed - 17 / 04 / 22	5-3	4-4	+ -
Viel has sat out the previous two games with an undefined issue, but it is anticipated that he will be available for Thursday's tilt with the Blues.
Jaycob Megna (D)	Ques Tues	Head - 17 / 04 / 22	5-3	4-4	+ -
Megna was absent from the last contest due to a head injury, and it is unknown if he will take on the Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
Alexander Barabanov (LW)	Prob Sat	Upper Body - 16 / 04 / 22	5-4	5-4	+ -
Barabanov has missed the last four contests with an upper-body injury, but it is projected that he will be active for Saturday's battle against the Blackhawks.
Erik Karlsson (D)	out for season	Lower Body - 16 / 04 / 22	5-4	5-4	+ -
Karlsson is expected to sit out the rest of the 2021-22 season due to a lower-body injury.
Radim Simek (D)	Out indefinitely	Lower Body - 16 / 04 / 22	5-4	5-4	+ -
Simek is sidelined with a lower-body injury, and it has yet to be established when he will return to the lineup.
John Leonard (LW)	out for season	Lower Body - 06 / 04 / 22	8-6	6-7-1	+ -
Leonard is idle due to a lower-body issue, and he is not expected to return this season.
Jonah Gadjovich (LW)	Prob Tues	Hand - 06 / 04 / 22	8-6	6-7-1	+ -
Gadjovich has been sidelined with a hand injury, but it is anticipated that he will return to the lineup for Tuesday's showdown versus the Ducks.
Jonathan Dahlen (C)	Prob Sat	Upper Body - 28 / 03 / 22	9-8	7-9-1	+ -
Dahlen has been sidelined due to an upper-body injury, but it is projected that he will return to the lineup against the Stars on Saturday.
Jonah Gadjovich (LW)	Ques Tues	Undisclosed - 28 / 03 / 22	9-8	7-9-1	+ -
Gadjovich has sat out the last three games with a lingering injury to an unknown area, and it has yet to be determined if he will suit up against the Oilers on Tuesday.
Logan Couture (C)	Prob Tues	Upper Body - 25 / 03 / 22	10-9	9-9-1	+ -
Couture missed the previous contest with an upper-body injury, but it is projected that he will partake in Wednesday's matchup against the Coyotes.

NY Rangers

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Filip Chytil (C)	Ques Thurs	Upper Body - 07 / 06 / 22	1-2	0-3	+ -
Chytil is dealing with an upper-body injury, and it is unknown if he will dress for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals versus the Lightning.
Barclay Goodrow (RW)	Prob Tues	Lower Body - 06 / 06 / 22	1-2	0-3	+ -
Goodrow is expected to suit up for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals versus the Lightning despite a lower-body ailment.
Ryan Strome (C)	Ques Thurs	Lower Body - 05 / 06 / 22	2-2	0-4	+ -
Strome is battling a lower-body injury, and it is unclear if he will play against the Lightning in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Barclay Goodrow (RW)	Prob Mon	Lower Body - 30 / 05 / 22	5-2	3-4	+ -
Goodrow is expected to take on the Hurricanes in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference second round despite a lower-body injury.
Ryan Lindgren (D)	day-to-day	Undisclosed - 30 / 05 / 22	5-2	3-4	+ -
Lindgren was forced from Monday's game with an unknown issue, and it is unclear if he will return.
Ryan Lindgren (D)	Prob Fri	Lower Body - 19 / 05 / 22	8-4	3-9	+ -
Lindgren is expected to suit up for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference second round versus the Hurricanes despite a lower-body injury.
Barclay Goodrow (RW)	Out indefinitely	Lower Body - 05 / 05 / 22	11-8	10-9	+ -
Goodrow is out of commission with a lower-body ailment, and team officials have yet to provide an exact return date.
Ryan Lindgren (D)	Out Wed	Lower Body - 04 / 05 / 22	11-8	10-9	+ -
Lindgren is nursing a lower-body injury, and he will not suit up for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference first round versus the Penguins.
Keith Kinkaid (G)	Out indefinitely	Upper Body - 03 / 05 / 22	12-8	10-10	+ -
Kinkaid is out of commission due to an upper-body injury, and he will miss an extended period.
Artemi Panarin (LW)	Prob Tues	Upper Body - 26 / 04 / 22	12-11	12-11	+ -
Panarin is tending to an upper-body injury, but it is anticipated that he will be active for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first round versus the Penguins.