New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes Picks, Predictions, Odds
The New York Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes meet at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. on Thursday night for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, a best-of-seven series. The series is tied 2-2. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on ESPN.
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Score Prediction
Rangers 4, Hurricanes 2
Best Bet
Rangers +114
Over 5.5 (+115)
NEW YORK RANGERS vs. CAROLINA HURRICANES PREDICTIONS
The Hurricanes have won all six home playoff games so far, while going 0-5 on the road in this postseason. The Hurricanes are just the second team in NHL history to see the home team win in each of the first 11 games of a postseason, joining the 1962 Toronto Maple Leafs. No Stanley Cup champ has ever lost the first five road postseason games, so perhaps the Hurricanes are in a spot of trouble after such a fine regular season. You have to win on the road, and you have to get the power play going to be successful in the postseason. In fact, the power play is a dismal 1-for-22 on the road in the playoffs.
Looking back at recent Stanley Cup champions, last season's Tampa Bay Lightning went 7-4 on the road in the playoffs. In 2019, prior to the Bubble year of 2020 due to COVID, the St. Louis Blues were an impressive 10-3 on the road in the playoffs. In 2018, the Washington Capitals were 10-3 on the road in the postseason. Prior to that, the Pittsburgh Penguins were 6-6 away from home in its championship season. Back in 2016, the Pens were 7-4 on the way to the Cup. In 2015, the Chicago Blackhawks went 7-5 on the road, and the Los Angeles Kings were 8-6 in 2014 before hoisting the Cup. In 2013, the Blackhawks were 5-5 on the road, and in 2012, the Kings were an amazing 10-1 away from home in the playoffs.
Championship-caliber teams do not just rely upon winning at home, while struggling on the road. In fact, the last time a Cup champ had a losing record on the road in the playoffs was 2003, when the New Jersey Devils were 4-7 away from home on the way to a title. That's still four more road wins than the Canes have at the moment.
The Rangers would love to keep the Hurricanes from a rematch with the Lightning in the ECF. Igor Shesterkin struggled in Pittsburgh last round, but he has tightened up, going 5-2 across the past seven games, and a showdown against the Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy sure would be tasty. New York has to figure out how to crack the combination and beat the Hurricanes at home. If it can do that, New York would have a chance to clinch on home ice where Carolina has looked like a different club.
NEW YORK RANGERS vs. CAROLINA HURRICANES BETTING ODDS
Rangers +114
Hurricanes -137
Rangers +1.5 (-233)
Hurricanes -1.5 (+190)
Over 5.5 (+115)
Under 5.5 (-141)
NEW YORK RANGERS vs. CAROLINA HURRICANES BETTING RESOURCES
- Date: Thursday, May 26, 2022
- Matchup: Metropolitan vs. Metropolitan
- Venue: PNC Arena
- Location: Raleigh, N.C.
- TV-Time: ESPN, 7 p.m. ET
NEW YORK RANGERS BETTING ANALYSIS
Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)
- SU: 58-27-8
- ATS: 48-45
- O/U: 39-51-3
The Rangers have done a good job shutting down the high-octane Hurricanes offense in this series, allowing just six total goals. Shesterkin is just 2-2-0 in this series despite an amazing 1.25 GAA and .959 SV% in four games. His three goals allowed in a three-game span ties a season best accomplished several times during the regular season.
Despite the two wins in New York, the Rangers still need to figure out how to win on the road, going just 1-4 in five away games so far this postseason. They're also 15-38 in the past 53 playoff games as an underdog, but most of those setbacks were without Shesterkin, who has looked like the second-best tendy in these playoffs behind Vassy.
The UNDER has cashed in four straight games overall for the Rangers, while going 6-1-1 in the past eight playoff games as an underdog, too. The UNDER is also 7-2 in the past nine trips to Raleigh.
CAROLINA HURRICANES BETTING ANALYSIS
Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)
- SU: 60-25-8
- ATS: 45-48
- O/U: 42-46-5
The Hurricanes are hoping the Caniacs can pull them across the finish line in Game 5 like the first six postseason games. Sooner or later, however, you're going to have a stinker on home ice, as it's difficult to go unbeaten over long stretches, especially in the postseason. Good teams have to figure out how to win on the road, so it isn't imperative to win every game at home. That's an awful lot of pressure to heap on oneself.
The Canes are 27-8 in the past 35 playoff games as a favorite, and 7-2 in the past nine in the Conference Semifinals Round, although those two losses are Games 3 and 4. The favorite has cashed in nine of the past 11 games between these Metropolitan Division foes, with the UNDER cashing in seven of the previous nine meetings, including Games 1 and 2 in raucous Raleigh.
NEW YORK RANGERS vs. CAROLINA HURRICANES CONCLUSION
There are some people tossing around the idea of Frederik Andersen perhaps returning to this team and playing soon after a 39-day layoff, perhaps as early as Game 5. Raanta hasn't really been the problem for the Canes, though. The Hurricanes have struggled to score timely goals, they're having a power outage on the power play, and they have to hope that their luck doesn't run out on home ice, where they're 6-0 so far this postseason.
As for an individual who lives in the Raleigh/Durham metro area, as well as a hockey fan and hockey player, I don't dislike the Hurricanes. They're a fun group, and a fun fanbase, and it would be awesome to see them go all the way. But they just don't seem to have that killer instinct when it is needed most, and they're struggling to find consistency. Carolina just has looked meh, and not championship caliber. While the Rangers have some nice pieces, the difference for me in this series is Shesterkin. He just has IT. He is the kind of goalie who can steal a playoff game, especially on the road, and he is the kind of backstop who can carry a team on his back to a series victory, leaving the opposition scratching its head wondering what could've been.
The pick here is for the Rangers to win on the road, ending the home dominance of the Canes. New York probably should've won in Game 1 anyway. The UNDER has hit in all four games, but I also think the OVER comes through, perhaps on a late empty-net goal.
NEW YORK RANGERS vs. CAROLINA HURRICANES BETTING TRENDS
- Rangers are 15-38 in the past 53 playoff games as a 'dog.
- Hurricanes are 12-5 in the past 17 games overall.
- Hurricanes are 44-16 in the past 60 home games.
- Hurricanes are 52-19 in the past 71 games as a favorite.
- Hurricanes are 27-8 in the past 35 playoff games as a fave.
- Hurricanes are 7-2 in the past nine Conference Semifinal games.
- UNDER is 4-0 in the past four games overall for the Rangers.
- UNDER is 6-1-1 in the past eight playoff games as a 'dog for the Rangers.
- UNDER is 4-0 in the past four games overall for the Hurricanes.
- Rangers are 37-18 in the past 55 meetings.
- Favorite is 9-2 in the past 11 meetings.
- UNDER is 7-2 in the past nine meetings in Raleigh.
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