Will the Rangers get an important win in the fight for the playoffs?
The New York Rangers will host the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night. The fifth-placed team in the Eastern Conference will meet the fifth-placed team in the Western Conference. The visitors played the New Jersey Devils last night and should therefore be somewhat exhausted. For this reason, the bookmakers’ betting odds between the New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets also clearly point to a home win.
The Rangers are at home in Madison Square Garden and are in twelfth place in the home table. New York won 16 games, while 13 games were lost. The home record is thus rather mixed and should not cause the Winnipeg Jets too much fear.
The host’s form is all the better for it, with Gerard Gallant’s side winning seven of their last eight games. The winning streak was only broken last Sunday in overtime at the Calgary Flames. The last home defeat was on 20.01.23 against the title favourites from Boston.
Winnipeg’s away record is quite solid, as the Jets have won 14 of their 27 away games. The visitors are 18th in the away table and certainly don’t intimidate the Rangers with that ranking.
The Jets’ form is not nearly as strong as New York’s. Winnipeg have only won three of their last eight games and are thus in a bit of a form crisis. Moreover, the last away win was almost a month ago. For this reason, the odds between the New York Rangers and the Winnipeg Jets are also significantly different.
In this duel, two of the best defenses in the NHL meet. The Rangers concede an average of 2.72 goals per game, while the Jets are at 2.62 goals against. In the past four duels, the Rangers have never conceded more than five goals, so an under-goal bet makes sense. For this reason, we recommend betting on under 6.5 goals in the game between the New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets.
New York Rangers – Statistics & current form
The Rangers are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference and have 33 wins this season. A spot in the playoffs seems firmly in the cards, but there are still a few games to go. At the moment, New York has a five-win lead over ninth place and even two games in hand.
In the preseason, Gerard Gallant’s team only failed to reach the semi-finals of the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning. For this reason, the hosts are also among the extended circle of title favourites in the current season.
Top scorer Mika Zibanejad
The Swede’s form curve is pointing strongly upwards, as he has already surpassed the number of goals scored in the past two years after just 56 games. The centre has already scored 30 goals this season, making him one of Rangers’ key players.
The man with the jersey number 93 could even surpass his best from the 2019/2020 season. To do so, he would need to score 12 goals in the remaining 26 games and that seems at least within the realms of possibility. On average, Zibanejad’s finishes find their way into the opponent’s goal in every second game.
Top scorer Artemi Panarin
On the left wing plays the experienced Russian Artemi Panarin, who stands out especially for his assists. The number 10 has already set up 47 goals this season and also scored 18 goals. With these great figures, he is the top scorer in Gerard Gallant’s team.
He started his career with the Chicago Blackhawks and has been a real constant in the NHL ever since. If he continues to play at the current level, he will also break his best value from the 2021/2022 season, which stands at 96 scorer points. With eleven goal contributions in the past four games, he is definitely in form.
One of the best defensive players in the NHL
The New York Rangers generally allow very little and boast one of the best defences in the league, conceding 152 goals in 56 games. On average, the hosts concede only 2.71 goals per game, which is the basis for their success.
On the offensive side, the home team ranks tenth in the league-wide comparison with 191 goals. Overall, it is noticeable that the New Yorkers are better in almost all categories away from home than in front of their home crowd. That could be a slight disadvantage against the Jets.
Predicted line-up of New York Rangers:
Halak – Fox, Lindgren – Tarasenko, Zibanejad, Panarin
Winnipeg Jets – Statistics & current form
Winnipeg is also in fifth place, but in the Western Conference. With 34 wins from 56 games, their record is marginally better than that of the Rangers. Paul Maurice’s team is also on a good path towards the NHL playoffs, as the gap to ninth place is already eight wins.
Last season, the Jets finished the regular season in eleventh place, six wins away from the playoffs. The current year can therefore be assessed very positively and therefore a victory in New York does not seem completely out of the question.
The offensively strong defender
Canadian Josh Morrissey may play in the Jets defence, but he is one of the most dangerous players on the Winnipeg squad. The number 44 has already set up 45 goals and also scored eleven goals himself. This makes him the best scorer in the team behind Kyle Connor, and that as a defensive player.
With these stats he is playing the best season of his entire career and that although there are still 26 games to go. He is the most dangerous defenceman in the NHL behind Rasmus Dahlin and Erik Karlsson and even a candidate for the Most Improved Player Award.
The left wing
For the Jets, the player on the left wing is also the top scorer. Kyle Connor is incredibly versatile with 25 goals and 37 assists. The American was already the Jets’ top scorer in the preseason and looks set to remain so this season. He is highly unlikely to surpass his previous year’s total, as he still needs 22 goal assists to do so. With 26 games left, that’s not impossible, but it’s also not a given. At 26, however, he is still quite young and has not yet reached his zenith, so he will remain a very interesting player in the coming years.
The second best defence in the NHL
The visitors are very good defensively, allowing an average of just 2.62 goals against. The Boston Bruins are the only team in the NHL that conceded fewer goals. The average away from home is 3.00 and therefore it seems to be relevant whether the Jets play away or at home.
Winnipeg’s offence is capable of improvement with a total of 176 goals. In the league-wide comparison, the guests are only 17th with this value and that is simply too little for a candidate for the playoffs.
Predicted line-up of Winnipeg Jets:
Hellebuyck – DeMelo, Morrissey – Connor, Scheifel, Maenalanen
New York Rangers – Winnipeg Jets Direct comparison / H2H balance
The direct comparison between the two teams goes to the hosts. The Rangers won 62 games, while the Jets only got 52 wins. Winnipeg won the last meeting after New York had won four games in a row. The Jets’ last away win at the Rangers was in 2018, which is why our prediction between the New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets goes in the direction of the home team. Especially since the visitors just had a tough game at the Devils last night.
New York Rangers – Winnipeg Jets Tip
We play between the New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets betting on a win for the home team. The host’s form is outstanding, while the visitors have been a bit sluggish in recent weeks. In addition, the Rangers should be much more rested, as the Jets had a tough game in New Jersey only last night. So it wouldn’t be surprising if the second line gets a little more minutes in this game.
Alternatively, between the New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets, we recommend the odds for a win for the home team including overtime. After the regular playing time a draw would be additionally secured.
