The New York Rangers (20-20-2) travel to face off against the Colorado Avalanche (26-17-1) on Tuesday, January 14th. This game will be played at Ball Arena in Denver and televised on ESPN+. The Rangers are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Avalanche are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Predators. Puck drop is set for 9:00 ET.
Rangers vs Avalanche
The New York Rangers Are Coming Off A Win
The Rangers moved to 20-20-2 with a 5-2 win over the Islanders. New York was favored by -1.5 goals and covered the puck line, with the total of 7 goals surpassing the pre-game line of 6.
Four different players scored for the Rangers, with Artemi Panarin leading the way with two goals. The Rangers took a 2-0 lead before the Islanders got on the board, and they added two more goals in the third period to secure the win.
The Colorado Avalanche Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
With a 5-2 loss to the Predators, the Avalanche’s record dropped to 26-17-1. The total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, and the combined 7 goals exceeded that mark. Colorado entered as underdogs on the puck line.
Colorado took the lead early in the second period, but the Predators responded with five unanswered goals. The Avalanche’s defense allowed two empty-net goals in the final period.
New York Offense Breakdown
In their 5-2 win over the Islanders, the Rangers fired 40 shots on goal and scored 5 times. Artemi Panarin netted twice, including an empty netter for his 9th goal of the season. Chris Kreider opened the scoring with his 8th goal, while Vincent Trocheck added his 4th. Adam Edstrom also found the net, scoring his first goal of the season.
Mika Zibanejad contributed with three assists, bringing his season total to 8. The Rangers scored once on the power play and once while shorthanded. They had 14 giveaways in the game.
Avalanche Offense Breakdown
The Avalanche took 30 shots on goal but only found the net twice in their 5-2 loss to the Predators. Cale Makar opened the scoring with his 5th goal of the season, a power-play goal 2:54 into the second period. Nathan MacKinnon added his 6th goal, scoring with 2:17 left in the game.
MacKinnon also picked up his 14th assist on Makar’s goal, while Makar earned his 16th assist on MacKinnon’s late tally. The Avalanche had 23 giveaways in the game.
New York Team Defense
On the defensive side, the Rangers will look to carry over their third-period performance from the last game, where they shut out the Islanders. Igor Shesterkin made 35 saves with a 94.6% save percentage, and the defense added 10 takeaways and 19 hits. The Rangers will aim for a more complete effort after allowing two goals to the Islanders, including one at the 4:38 mark of the second period and another just before the end of the period.
Colorado Team Defense
Defensively, the Avalanche will look to bounce back after giving up five goals to the Predators, including two empty-netters. Justus Annunen made 21 saves with a save percentage of 87.5%. The defense also recorded 11 takeaways and 26 hits but will aim to tighten up after allowing three goals in the 3rd period.
Rangers vs Avalanche Trends
- Although New York has a straight up record of 4-6 in their last ten road games, they have not held up as well vs the puck line going 3-7. The team averaged 2 goals per game in these games.
- Although Colorado has a straight up record of 6-4 in their last ten home games, they have not held up as well vs the puck line going 4-6. The team averaged 3 goals per game in these games.
- Looking back on the team’s last three games as the underdog, the Avalanche have a straight up record of 1-2. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 1-2.
- In their last five games as the betting favorite, the Rangers have a straight up record of 3-2, while going 1-4 against the spread.
Rangers vs Avalanche Prediction
If you’re looking for a straight moneyline bet, then the Avalanche are the way to go. However, with a payout of -176, you might consider using this bet as a leg of a parlay.
If you’re looking for a puck line bet, I’d suggest going with the Rangers to cover. Even in the event of a Avalanche victory, this game is expected to be closely fought, and the Rangers should cover the puck line.
If you’re looking at the over/under line set at 6.5 goals, our prediction is that this game will exceed that mark, and we strongly advise placing a bet on the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are 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.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:January 14, 2025 Avalanche, Rangers