Rangers Need To Take Advantage Of Injured Pens

Pittsburgh Penguins @ New York Rangers – Wednesday April 3, 2013 7:30PM EST

Things are getting serious for the New York Rangers. The Rangers spent a lot of money in the past two seasons and the online betting crowd is not seeing a return on that investment. The acquisition of Rick Nash in the offseason was supposed to elevate a struggling Rangers’ offense to new heights. But the Rangers have the lowest goals for totals in the league and that is not sitting well with fans. The Rangers currently hold onto the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but New York needs to keep winning if it is going to hold off the rest of the conference.

The betting sites are starting to get used to seeing the Pittsburgh Penguins without star center Sidney Crosby. Once again, the Penguins will enter the playoffs without Crosby on the roster due to a serious injury. But the injury does not seem to have slowed down the Penguins at all. The team is still adding to its 15-game winning streak and the recently acquired Jarome Iginla seems to be fitting in nicely with Evgeni Malkin and the rest of the Penguins. Even without Crosby in the lineup, the Penguins seem stronger than ever heading into the playoffs.

Why the Rangers Will Win

The sportsbook experts had high hopes for the Rangers in this shortened season after New York brought in Rick Nash to try and compliment Brad Richards. But it looks like all the Rangers can do is play defense and that is not going to win a lot of hockey games. The Rangers have one of the strongest defenses in the league and that could be enough to hold off a Pittsburgh team that is used to having its way with opposing goaltenders.

Why the Penguins Will Win

At this point, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a level of momentum that no NHL team can match. It seems like Jarome Iginla came along at a perfect time. Just as Sidney Crosby gets hurt for the season, here comes a veteran goal scorer to pick the team back up. The team is also getting great goaltending from Tomas Vokoun and Marc-Andre Fleury. The Pens are trying to build up Fleury’s confidence heading into the playoffs, which means that he may get the start in this game. But there is a short leash on Fleury that he has to be aware of . The Penguins are not afraid to pull Fleury and put in Vokoun on a moment’s notice.

The Bottom Line

The Rangers will play this game with a sense of desperation, but that may not help the team’s struggling offense. The Penguins do come into this game injured, but the team is hardly helpless. This will be a grinding battle that Pittsburgh should be able to win by the time the final whistle sounds.

Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins