New York Rangers - Florida Panthers predictions and free betting tips [05/03/2024]

The New York Rangers and the Florida Panthers will face off tomorrow morning as part of the regular NHL season.

New York Rangers

The New York Rangers have recently bumps in their road, succumbing to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a shootout series with a score of 3:4. This was only the team's second loss over the past 13 games. Despite this, the Rangers can boast of their achievements, including a 10-game winning streak from 28th January to 25th February, which tied the franchise record. This streak highlighted their ability to overcome difficulties, including coming from behind in 5 of these victories.

Throughout the season, the Rangers have delivered a solid offensive play and reliable defence, scoring an average of 3.33 goals and allowing 2.71 goals per game. Artemi Panarin leads the team with 84 points, including 35 goals and 49 assists. Chris Kreider has also made significant contributions with 56 points, netting 30 goals. Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad are equally important to the team, contributing 58 and 54 points respectively.

The Rangers' goaltending staff, featuring Igor Shesterkin with stats of 26-12-2, 2.66 goals against, and 91.1% saves, and Jonathan Quick with 13-5-2, 2.45 goals against, and 91.6% saves, continues to be the key to their success this season.

After their recent loss to Toronto, the Rangers are looking to bounce back and prep themselves for the upcoming games set to test their playoff ambitions, considering many of their future opponents are also vying for postseason spots or are just a few points away from the playoff zone.

Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers have demonstrated impressive results, clinching a 4:0 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, which was their fourth consecutive win and put them squarely at the top of the Atlantic division. This success followed a series of Boston Bruins losses, including a 5:1 drubbing at the hands of the New York Islanders, allowing the Panthers to take pole position. Since January 23rd, the team has a record of 14-2-0, closing a seven-point gap in the division and bagging 28 points, the best in the NHL over this period.

In the match against Detroit, Brandon Montour delivered a sterling performance, contributing 3 points, including one goal and two assists, underscoring his key role in the team with 8 points in the last 4 matches. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is also worth special mention, fending off all 21 shots and securing the victory, marking his 30th seasonal win with stats of 2.30 GAA and 91.8% saves. The Panthers are strong in both offence and defence, scoring an average of 3.3 goals and letting in 2.36 goals per game.

Among the team's top players, Sam Reinhart stands out with 42 goals and 30 assists. Aleksander Barkov, contributing 59 points, including 14 goals and 45 assists, also significantly adds to the team's success. Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk have also displayed excellent play contributing 63 and 69 points respectively.

The Panthers continue their road trip with crucial matches against the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers, looking to solidify their standing in the Atlantic division and Eastern conference. With their approach and results, the Florida Panthers reconfirm their status as one of the favorites in the Eastern conference.

Head to Head

In recent matches between the Panthers and Rangers, New York appears to have the upper hand, triumphing in 4 out of the last 5 games. Of particular note was the resounding 6:2 victory in January 2023. However, Florida flexed their muscles, pulling off a win in the latest match in December with a score of 4:3.

Projection for the New York Rangers - Florida Panthers match

In a game with two teams in top-notch form, a flurry of action and total points over 5.5 is expected. A goaltending duel between Shesterkin and Bobrovsky is on the cards, but they will likely struggle against the formidable attacks of both teams.