The Boston Bruins are heading into Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Rangers. It’s Wednesday Night Rivalry. Let’s take a look at our NHL predictions.
Bruins vs Rangers
ML: +120 / -140
O/U: 5.5
New York has turned what was a total dumpster fire of an October into a four-game winning streak. They have salvaged their playoff hopes and their coach’s job security by changing the outcomes of just four games.
Are they a brand new team? No, not really. They still have glaring issues on defense and Brendan Smith is still sitting in a press box with a suit behind Steven Kampfer and Nick Holden on the depth chart. They still have had to come back in the third period twice and pull out an overtime win in the other two. If not for their powerplay, they may still be cellar-dwellers in the Eastern Conference.
But, who cares. Wins are wins, right?
The Rangers’ powerplay has tallied seven times in the last five games. Three powerplay goals in the third period against the Columbus Blue Jackets propelled them to a 5-3 victory. John Tortorella was predictably unhappy.
John Tortorella's 53-second post game press conference summed up a brutal loss in New York. #CBJ https://t.co/oLVORJk1aR
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) November 7, 2017
Torts went so far as to call his team “dumb.” To his defense, he wasn’t wrong. The penalties that the Blue Jackets took in the final frame of Monday’s hockey game were pretty dumb. It’s just out of character for a coach to vocalize that point.
Then again, it’s Torts we’re talking about here. Out of character? Please.
So instead of shaking their heads at another loss where there were a lot of plays that could have gone better and kicking the dirt at players who just can’t buy a goal, Ranger fans can get a bit of their confidence back.
Circumstances have certainly helped. The first win of their streak came against the Vegas Golden Knights, trotting out a goaltender making his first career start. They put up a pair of fine performances in Florida, then came back and were gift wrapped three powerplays in the third period against Columbus.
Aiding them in their surge has been Kevin Shattenkirk, who has notched eight points in his last five games. He’s been everything the team could have asked for and more.
Plus, the KZB Line (Kreider, Zibanejad, Buchnevich) has been clicking. Michael Grabner’s empty netter gave him his sixth goal in as many games. Rick Nash is finally getting some points to reward him for his dominant efforts on the puck this season.
Boston has earned points in seven of their last eight games. Their offense has been pretty hit-or-miss, but then again, what do you expect from a team that has the lineup that they do?
To summarize, the usual suspects missing from the Bruins’ forward lines are, in no particular order: Brad Marchand, David Backes, David Krecji, Ryan Spooner and Noel Acciari. Oh, and also Adam McQuaid on defense and Anton Khudobin in net.
Yiiiikes.
The nobodies that are comprising the Bruins’ lineup are actually winning them some games, though. Let’s take a look at who reached the scoresheet in their 5-3 win over the Minnesota Wild, shall we? Jordan Szwarz, Danton Heinen, Sean Kuraly, Jake DeBrusk and Tim Schaller all had at least one point.
With the exception of Schaller, no one in that bunch had so much has half a season of NHL experience.
Monday night’s win over the Wild was not a textbook pretty win, it was one that seemed to show their energy and battle level. Those are pretty generic hockey buzzwords, I know, but it’s impossible to ignore that a team missing it’s biggest stars is still finding a way to compete. Players want to be the next man up.
David Pastrnak has six points in his last four games, but is not impervious to criticism apparently. He saw a cut in ice time against Minnesota with Bruce Cassidy citing defensive issues in the young superstar’s game.
Personally, maybe reducing the ice time of your best scorer when literally every other member of your top six is on the mend is not such a good idea. Put the best player on the team on the ice and let him score. Now is not the time for head games.
Neither Tuukka Rask nor Henrik Lundqvist have particularly impressive numbers on paper, but both share the same attribution of being better than they appear. Rask has been getting better and better every start since going 1-3 in his first four starts and allowing 12 goals in the process. Even though the numbers don’t reflect it, he’s inching closer to the Tuukka we all know with every start.
There is no reason to panic. This is the same Tuukka Rask that started the season 11-1 last year allowing just 17 goals.
Lundqvist is being asked to do the impossible, which is look good behind First Pair Nick Holden and company. As he gets older there is an increasing number of goals given up where you figure he wants them back, but he still is selling out to make some ridiculous saves.
Before any Ranger fans make a snarky comment about “should of kept Talbot!!!1!” know that most goaltenders would be even worse off than Lundqvist right about now. Lundqvist may have allowed four goals to Vegas, for instance, but he prevented about three more singlehandedly.
Also, go peep Cam Talbot and Antti Raanta’s stats since you’re all about the “what have you done for me lately” mentality.
The Rangers have won their last five meetings with the Boston Bruins and their last four home games against them as well. In their last Wednesday Night Rivalry matchup, David Pastrnak scored just 10 seconds into the action, but the Rangers came roaring back to a 5-2 victory.
The line is kind to the Bruins, who may be missing half their lineup but have fought like hell to keep things afloat. That may be betting on results rather than playing the odds, though. In all likelihood, a team with this lineup on the road is a bigger underdog than Vegas thinks.
It’s not a bad thing that they’re being given too much credit. But it does make the Rangers much more appealing when they are this cheap.
Prediction: Take the Rangers to make it five in a row tonight. Play the over.
