Do the Canes remain a force at home?

The Metropolitan Division does the honours on Thursday, sending two of its best teams onto the ice. In our Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers betting tips, two absolute secret favourites for the Stanley Cup will face each other.

This is not such a secret for the Canes, as they have been among the top 3 favourites for the Cup for some time now. The Rangers, on the other hand, slowly climbed into the top 7, which of course also has to do with their new signings.

New York got both Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane in a trade a few weeks ago. Both forwards were considered absolute top stars with scoring guarantees in recent years. Tarasenko scored 82 points in the pre-season, Kane even 92.

They are both slowly getting used to playing for the Rangers, which is why we don’t see them as the big underdogs against the Hurricanes. So our forecast for Carolina vs. New York is a duel of equals that can tip in either direction in the end.

First face-off of this Metropolitan Division match is Friday night at 00.00 in Raleigh, North Carolina. The game can be followed live on Sky and on NHL.TV.

Carolina Hurricanes – Statistics & current form

Oh Carolina…. sang the rapper Shaggy in the 90s and slowly this “Oh” becomes an admiring exclamation, because what the Hurricanes deliver this season has it all. Their defence in particular is becoming more and more of a game changer.

If the Canes were playing in the Western Conference, they would almost certainly be the big favourites for a Stanley Cup appearance. In the East, however, there are still the Boston Bruins – and also the New York Rangers – this season.

Second duel within 3 days

The game against New York takes place on Thursday as a direct revenge game from Tuesday. The Hurricanes were able to win 3:2 in New York, which of course makes them the favourites in their own arena.

Nevertheless, we do not see their status as favourites as clearly as the betting companies, as Carolina also has weaker days from time to time. Just ten days ago, for example, they lost 4-0 to Vegas in their own arena.

In this NHL, anything is possible, especially when two such strong teams meet. Betting on the “clear” underdog is then usually much more attractive and promising.

Canes with top defence

We’ve already touched on their stellar defence. With only 2.57 goals against per game, the Canes have the second best defence in the league. Here they also have the only small advantage over the Rangers, who allow 0.13 goals per game more on average.

Still, that’s not enough to make them a clear favourite, which is why our favourite betting option for Hurricanes vs Rangers is to predict New York. The New Yorkers should also be eager to avenge their defeat on Tuesday.

Key Players:
G: Frederik Andersen
D: Jaccob Slavin
D: Brent Burns
LW: Andrei Svechnikov
C: Sebastian Aho
RW: Seth Jarvis

New York Rangers – Statistics & current form

The Rangers are who again. Already in the previous year, this rise had hinted, when they had made it to the Conference Finals. Before that, however, they missed the playoffs completely in three out of four seasons.

In the meantime, they have almost secured this post-season qualification. Now it is a matter of getting used to their new superstars Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane in the best possible way. Tarasenko came from the Blues at the beginning of February, Kane from the Blackhawks at the end of February.

Tarasenko and Kane elevate offense to new level

With these two trades, the Rangers have also gone all-in for the season. In recent days, it has already become clear what this could mean for their offensive department. One after the other, the Penguins and Predators were fiddled with 6-0, and 7-0 respectively.

Both scored two points against the Penguins. They then lost at home to the Hurricanes, but they will have a chance for revenge against them on Thursday. We can’t imagine them losing two games in a row to the same team – even if it’s the Canes.

Statistically on par

So statistically, the Rangers are also only a razor-thin margin behind the Canes. They concede 0.13 more goals per game and have the 3.2% weaker penalty kill. Offensively, however, they also score 0.04 goals more than Carolina and have the 1.8% stronger power play.

Both teams do not take each other much and that means for us that the odds on the Rangers in Carolina vs. New York are slightly better playable. The men from the Big Apple are considered the clear underdogs – an assessment that we do not entirely share.

Key Players:
G: Igor Shesterkin
D: Ryan Lindgren
D: Adam Fox
LW: Artemi Panarin
C: Mika Zibanejad
RW: Vladimir Tarasenko

Carolina Hurricanes – New York Rangers Direct comparison / H2H-balance

The last direct duel was just two days ago and went to the Hurricanes with 3:2. However, the Rangers have a good record in Carolina in recent years, winning five of the last six games there.

The PNC Arena seems to suit the Rangers. Another point why we don’t see the Canes with such a big lead as the bookmakers. We also think that New York’s offence could make an even bigger impact on this game than it did on Tuesday.

So for Hurricanes vs Rangers, the odds on over points are just as playable as any bets on New York. Even bets on X2 still come with decent value given their underdog status.

Carolina Hurricanes – New York Rangers Tip

The Hurricanes are considered the favourites, which is of course understandable given their form. However, if there is currently a team that can be dangerous to them (besides Boston), then it is the Hurricanes.

They recently swept the Penguins and the Predators and will again be on the offensive gas on Thursday. For Canes vs. Rangers, betting on New York is our No.1 betting option, followed by over points bets.

Alternatively, a combination bet on Rangers + Over 5.5 goals is also conceivable.