New York Rangers - Carolina Hurricanes predictions and free betting tips [03/01/2024]

The Carolina Hurricanes will be paying a visit to the New York Rangers, the leaders of the Eastern Conference, in the morning of 3rd January as part of the regular NHL championship.

New York Rangers

The New York Rangers have racked up 7 wins out of their last 10 matches, showcasing an impressive offensive power. Their only defeats came from the Edmonton Oilers (3:4) and Florida (3:4). Thanks to a solid rout of Tampa Bay and victory over Washington Capitals, where the team netted 10 pucks, the Rangers have fortified their position at the Eastern apex. The team's average productivity is 3.39 pucks per game, and their power play efficiency reaches 30.3%. Artemi Panarin leads the team with 23 goals and 50 points, Mika Zibanejad has collected 14 goals and 23 assists. Rangers' defence allows an average of 2.67 pucks per game and successfully wards off 86% pucks on power plays. Goalkeepers Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick showcase secure play with a 91% save percentage.

Artemi Panarin, the team's Russian leader with 50 points, ranks fourth in the NHL and fourth in scoring goals. Kreider is among the league's top 11 with 18 goals, 9 of which were scored on power plays. The Rangers boast a successful power play streak, having scored in 8 consecutive games, marking the longest streak since 2009, even though it was the game against Florida where they scored a short-handed goal that broke the streak. Adam Fox, back after an injury, has scored 24 points in 25 games, and Zibanejad was named the NHL's second star of the week with 7 points in 3 matches. In the latest game, Panarin performed a hat trick, Mika Zibanejad provided an assist, and Trocheck scored 1 goal and 3 assists.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes recently showcased impressive results, winning three matches in a row against Nashville (5:2), Montreal (5:3) and Toronto (3:2), continuing a streak of four wins in the last five encounters. Russian Petr Kochetkov was in goal for Carolina in six of the last seven games, however Raanta, who recently returned to the NHL from the minor leagues, played in the match against Montreal. Hurricanes head coach Brind'Amour stresses the importance of the goalie position for team success and rates Raanta highly. Aho leads the attack with 15 goals and a season's 42 points. After returning from an injury, Russian Andrei Svechnikov earned 6 goals and 15 assists in 22 games, ranking fifth among the bombardiers. Russian defenceman Dmitry Orlov boasts a tally of 1 goal and 12 assists in 37 matches.

The Hurricanes have exhibited impressive attacking play, scoring 12 pucks in the last three matches. They net an average of 3.34 pucks per game while conceding 3.14. The team's offence ranks 13th in the league,and their defence will be the key factor in the upcoming game, especially in the light of Rangers' strong offence. Holding the fourth place in the East with 44 points, Carolina has moved ahead of the New York Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Philadelphia Flyers.

Head-to-Head

During the last 4 matches between these teams, the Rangers demonstrated excellent results, notching victories in 3 encounters. In their latest match, which took place on 3rd November 2023, the Rangers won over Carolina with a score of 2:1. Earlier, on 24th March, they also triumphed over Carolina with a score of 2:1. But on the game of 22nd March, Carolina took a rematch, defeating the Rangers with a score of 3:2. These results fit into the overall trend of the Rangers' good form, who have claimed 8 out of the last 10 head-to-head games.

Match prediction: New York Rangers - Carolina Hurricanes

For this match, I'm betting on Panarin's team, who in a face-off against the rising Kochetkov looks better. New York's offence is definitely more varied and Carolina, despite their 3-win streak, will see their series halted.