Matching up for the third and final time this year, the New York Rangers and the Florida Panthers clash at the BB&T Center in an Eastern Conference showdown. The matchup will get going at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 10, and you’ll be able to catch the game live on MSG Network.
New York Rangers vs. Florida Panthers Odds
With a moneyline of -245, Florida comes into the matchup as the substantial favorite. The line for New York sits at +205, and the oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 7 goals (-105 for the over, -115 for the under).
Earning moneyline bettors 1.4 units, Florida is 33-32 straight up (SU) overall this year. That early-season winning percentage is a welcome improvement compared to how the team performed during last year’s regular season (35-47). Of its 65 games this season, 33 have gone over the total, while 32 have gone under and none have pushed. This year, the team is 20-12 SU at home.
The Panthers have converted on 19.7 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked 18th overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 79.8 percent of all penalties.
As a collective unit, the Panthers have been penalized 4.3 times per game overall this season, and 3.3 per game over their past ten contests. The team has had to kill penalties for a whopping 14.6 minutes per game over their last five outings, in total.
Averaging 27.8 saves per game with a .907 save percentage, James Reimer (16-20-5) has been the top option in goal for Florida this year. If head coach Bob Boughner decides to give him a rest, however, Florida could go with Roberto Luongo (13-11-11 record, .930 save percentage, 2.50 goals against average).
Aleksander Barkov and Vincent Trocheck will each be offensive focal points for the Panthers. Barkov (68 points) has put up 25 goals and 43 assists and has recorded multiple points on 19 separate occasions this year. Trocheck has 26 goals and 34 assists to his credit and has recorded at least one point in 42 games.
On the other side of the rink, New York is 30-38 straight up (SU) and has lost 8.3 units for moneyline bettors thus far. A total of 35 of its outings have gone over the total, while 31 have gone under and just two have pushed. The Rangers are 12-21 SU as the away team this season.
The Rangers have converted on 20.3 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked fifth overall and it’s successfully killed off 83.2 percent of all penalties.
New York’s skaters have been called for penalties 3.5 times per game in total this season, 3.0 per game over their past five games total, and 3.6 per game over their last five on the road. The team has been forced to kill penalties just 7.5 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Henrik Lundqvist (.916 save percentage and 2.92 goals against average) has been the main option in goal for New York. Lundqvist is averaging 29.1 saves per game and owns a 25-32-5 record.
Leading the offensive attack for the visiting Rangers will be Vladislav Namestnikov (21 goals, 25 assists) and Mats Zuccarello (11 goals, 34 assists).
New York Rangers at Florida Panthers Betting Predictions
NHL Pick: SU Winner – Panthers, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Trends
Four of Florida’s last ten contests have been decided by two or more goals. The team is 3-1 overall in those games.
Power plays and penalty kills could have a key role in the outcome of this game. The Rangers are 11-14 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 19-22 in games where they’re in the box for fewer than 10 total penalty minutes. The Panthers are 12-16 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 15-19 when they’re in the box for less than 10 minutes.
New York is 3-4 in games decided by a shootout this season while Florida is 2-3 in shootouts.
The total has gone under in four of Florida’s last five games.
Florida is ranked 29th this season with 12.2 giveaways per game. That figure has trended upward, as it’s averaged 16.0 giveaways over its last 10 games and 17.2 giveaways over its last five.
New York has averaged 11.8 giveaways over its last five home games, an improvement from its season average of 12.9 giveaways per game (ranked 31st in the league).
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