New Jersey Devils Travels to New York City to Face the Rangers

The New Jersey Devils will travel to Madison Square Garden on Friday evening to take on the New York Rangers in a Metropolitan Division game.

This is the second of four games against one another as they played in mid-November when the Rangers picked up a 4-3 shootout win at home. The Devils are seventh in the Metropolitan Division (19-29-5, 43 points), while the Rangers are third (33-15-5, 71 points).

With stars like left winger Jesper Bratt, left winger Artemi Panarin, and defenseman Adam Fox on the ice, it will be a fun and entertaining matchup between two young franchises. 

Which Young Team can Step Up and Pick Up Two Points?

The Devils are scoring 3.08 goals on 31.7 shot attempts per game thus far. Left winger Jesper Bratt has been leading the team as he has recorded 50 points (19 goals, 31 assists) and has added seven points in his last three games. New Jersey has been struggling as they are 22nd in the sport with an 18.2 power play percentage this season. 

New Jersey is giving up 3.57 goals on 31.1 shots per game this season. Goalie Jon Gillies has been struggling in the net as he is just 3-9-1 with a 88.7 percentage and 3.70 goals allowed per game. The Devils are playing decently well as they have killed 81.7 percent of all penalties against them. 

The Rangers are fourth in the NHL with a 25.3 power play percentage thus far this season. This is a good reason why they are averaging 2.89 goals on 28.8 shot attempts. Left winger Artemi Panarin is tied for sixth in the NHL in assists as he has scored 56 points (14 goals, 42 assists).

The Rangers are seventh in hockey with an 82.7 penalty kill percentage this season. It’s a solid reason why New York is allowing 2.49 goals on 32 shot attempts thus far. Goaltender Igor Shesterkin has been dominant this season as he is 25-6-3 with 1.95 goals allowed and leading the NHL with a .941 save percentage. 

New York Rangers Sweep the New Jersey Devils with Ease

Defensively, these teams are on two completely different levels. In their last five games, the Devils are giving up 4.2 goals, while the Rangers are allowing 2.2 goals per game.

New Jersey is just 8-16-2 on the road and are not looking to compete this season, while New York is dominant inside of MSG as they are 17-5-3 in the World’s Most Famous Arena.

We should be in for an exciting match, but in terms of betting, it is hard to look past the Rangers. The Devils are 25-28 ATS this season, while the Rangers are 26-27 ATS, so go with the New York Rangers to cover the puck line!

* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.