Pens vs Rangers Hockey Odds
The New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins will continue their Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series with Game 4 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. The Penguins wrestled back home ice advantage with back-to-back wins, but they can now put their foot on the throats of the Rangers with a win in Game 4.
Eastern Conference semifinals Game 4
Pittsburgh Penguins (6-3) at New York Rangers (5-5)
Date: Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Venue: Madison Square Garden
City: New York, New York
O/U Odds: 5
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Money Line: Pittsburgh -106, New York -102
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The Penguins don’t get shutout wins often, particularly in the postseason, but that’s been the case in each of their last two outings. The team usually relies on its high-powered offense, but the team didn’t even do much in the way of generating chances in Game 3.
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In that contest, the Rangers actually outshot the Penguins by a wide margin, 35-15, and the Rangers even had a 5-to-1 edge in power plays, but like we saw in some of their games against the Flyers, the Rangers just couldn’t catch any breaks.
Now, having been shut out in back-to-back contests, the Rangers are desperate to find goal-scoring anywhere they can. The team wasn’t shut out in back-to-back contests in the entire regular season, so it seems safe to say they won’t be shut out for a third consecutive game on Wednesday night.
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The last time the team was shut out in back-to-back games, they responded by scoring four goals against Winnipeg, then six against this very Pittsburgh team in back-to-back wins. Derek Stepan scored twice against Winnipeg, while Rick Nash had a goal and a helper. Derick Brassard had a goal and three assists in the win against Pittsburgh, and Brad Richards had a goal and two assists in that game.
Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault would love for any one of those players to step up right about now. Vigneault blasted the schedule-makers after Game 3, and his team will now have to put up, or shut up.
The Rangers need this win in a bad way. The schedule-makers deserve a lot of the blame for the speed bump the team just hit, but now that they’ve had a day off, there won’t be any excuses after this one. Expect an A-effort from the Rangers in this one after back-to-back duds.
Additionally, with goals being hard to come by for the Rangers in their last two games, goaltender Henrik Lundqvist knows he’s going to have to stand on his head in this one if the team has a chance. With competent play from Marc-Andre Fleury at the other end, this game should stay under the number.
The Rangers are 11-2 in their last 13 games played on a Wednesday, and 5-2 in their last seven home games.
The under is 16-6-3 in the Rangers’ last 25 home games, and it is 9-2-6 in their last 17 conference semifinal games.
The play: New York -102, Under 5
