Tuesday should provide an excellent night of hockey, as the Rangers and Islanders will face off against a pair of Stanley Cup favorites.
The Rangers will host the Winnipeg Jets, who are off to a historic start with 14 wins in 15 games.
If the Jets manage a victory Tuesday, they will break another record by becoming the fastest team to hit the 30-point mark in a season.
The Islanders will begin their five-game road trip with a date in Edmonton against Connor McDavid and the Oilers.
New York Rangers vs. Winnipeg Jets odds
(7 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jets | +110 | +1.5 (-245) | Over 6 (-115) |
| Rangers | -130 | -1.5 (+200) | Under 6 (-105) |
Though their process has looked fairly concerning, the Rangers continue to rack up wins and enter this matchup on a 7-3-0 run.
They were once again less dominant than Saturday’s 4-0 final suggested, as Jonathan Quick put forth a brilliant performance, stopping all 37 shots faced.
In the last 10 games, the Rangers have played to a 48.43% expected goal share and are being outshot by 2.25 shots per hour.
From a non-analytic perspective, it’s been visibly obvious that their game wasn’t very sharp in some of their recent wins, and many around the organization have been vocal about that.
That said, it’s fair to say the Rangers’ play has room to grow based on the talent the roster still has and their prior results.
Laviolette’s crew won the President’s Trophy last season with a record of 55-23-4 and allowed only 2.76 goals per game.
They allowed 3.10 xGA/60, which was the 12th-best mark in the NHL.
Sharper defensive play has been a big talking point the last few weeks, and this matchup provides an excellent chance for the Rangers to show they are still a true Cup contender.
While the Jets have scored 4.47 goals per game this season, they rank 16th in expected goals per 60 minutes. They have scored on 14.18% of shots taken, which is a completely unsustainable clip.
Based on a wider sample of results, their greatest strengths moving forward will likely be strong defensive play and elite goaltending from reigning Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck.
Hellebuyck has played to a .935 save and 1.83 GAA this season and put up comparable numbers a year ago.
Still, it’s debatable if Hellebuyck goaltender than Shesterkin, who has followed up an incredible postseason with a .920 save % and 2.62 GAA thus far.
The Jets’ offense hasn’t been all that dominant, and I think we will see the Rangers do a good job of limiting Winnipeg mainly to the type of chances Shesterkin can handle.
The Jets have allowed just 2.36 goals per game this season and allowed only 2.41 a year ago.
Generating offense could prove quite tricky in this matchup. I’m surprised this total is set at 6 and not 5.5, and I see value in backing the game to go under 6 goals at -120 or better.
Pick: Under 6 (-105, bet365)
New York Islanders vs. Edmonton Oilers odds
(9 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Islanders | +190 | +1.5 (-135) | Over 6 (-115) |
| Oilers | -230 | -1.5 (+115) | Under 6 (-105) |
While the Isles’ late collapse Saturday against New Jersey was certainly a moment to forget for their fans, it was another effort to be proud of.
For 55 minutes, the Islanders did a relatively strong job of limiting quality looks to an elite offensive side, and earning a point from that matchup is far from the worst result.
The Isles have a record of 3-1-1 in their last five games, which is pretty excellent considering the pieces missing from the lineup.
They have displayed a well-organized team game and have had a number of skaters step up to help fill the void left by injuries.
One of the more intriguing storylines is the fantastic play of Isiah George on the back end.
George has done more than help cover the minutes played by Adam Pelech, Mike Reilly and Alexander Romanov, and arguably provided an upgrade.
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In the last five games, the Islanders have a 50.07% expected goal share and generated 3.30 xGF/60.
It wouldn’t surprise me to see the Islanders come out and play a simplified game on the road here and perhaps give an aggressive Oilers team some problems early on.
Edmonton has suffered from many bad starts this season, as it holds a record of 5-7-3 (win-loss-push) in the first period.
Edmonton’s defense core has offered plenty of breakdowns in critical areas of the ice this season, and it has received a team save % of just .875.
The Islanders are priced at +220 to win the first period (3-way result), and I see value in taking them on at that number against an Oilers side that has offered up very Jekyll-and-Hyde play this season.
Pick: Islanders First Period -0.5 (+220, bet365)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Nicholas Martin handicaps the NHL, MLB and NFL for the New York Post. He strives to include relevant game notes in articles to help bettors come to their own conclusions, but is also up 180 units himself on verified picks in a sports betting app. You can find Nick on X @nickm_hockey.
