The New York Rangers (16-18-1) travel to face off against the Florida Panthers (22-13-2) on Monday, December 30th. This game will be played at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise and televised on NHLN. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Rangers vs Panthers

The New York Rangers Are Coming Off A Win

With a 5-2 victory over the Islanders, the Rangers improved to 16-18-1. Entering the game as -1.5 goal favorites, the Rangers covered the puck line. The total for the game was set at 6 goals, and the combined 7 goals surpassed that mark.

Four different players contributed to the Rangers’ scoring. Artemi Panarin led the way with two goals, including one in the second period and an empty-netter in the third. The Rangers built a 2-0 lead before the Islanders got on the board, and they held the lead for the entire game.

The Florida Panthers Are Coming Off A Win

With a 4-2 win over the Stars, the Panthers moved to 22-13-2 on the season. Florida, favored by -1.5 goals, covered the puck line. The total was set at 6.5 goals, and the combined 6 goals fell just short of that mark.

All four of Florida’s goals came from different players, and they took the lead for good with a goal at 2:32 in the third period. The Panthers scored first in the game, but the Stars responded with two goals in the second period to tie it up before Florida pulled away.

New York Offense Breakdown

Artemi Panarin led the way for the Rangers, scoring twice in their 5-2 victory over the Islanders. He netted his 8th goal on a power play in the second period and added his 9th with an empty-netter. Chris Kreider opened the scoring with his 8th goal, while Vincent Trocheck followed with his 4th. Adam Edstrom chipped in with his 1st goal of the season.

Mika Zibanejad contributed 8th assist on Panarin’s empty-netter, and earlier, he earned his 7th assist on Kreider’s shorthanded goal. The Rangers fired 40 shots on goal and scored twice in the third period.

Panthers Offense Breakdown

Florida’s offense was held to 25 shots on goal in their 4-2 win over the Stars. A.J. Greer found the net for the first time this season, scoring at 17:28 in the third period. Sam Reinhart added his 10th goal with an empty-netter at the 19:00 mark.

Earlier in the game, Evan Rodrigues opened the scoring with his third goal of the season, while Matthew Tkachuk added his third, which came on a power play. The Panthers had 16 giveaways and scored in each period, including twice in the third.

New York Team Defense

Defensively, the Rangers will look to carry the momentum from their previous game, where they allowed just two goals to the Islanders. Igor Shesterkin made 35 saves with a 94.6% save percentage. The defense also contributed 10 takeaways, 19 hits, and 18 blocks.

Florida Team Defense

Florida’s defense gave up two goals to Dallas, both coming in the second period. The first was a power-play goal at 11:22, followed by another at 11:56. However, the Panthers’ defense locked in after that, not allowing another goal. Spencer Knight made 23 saves with a 92% save percentage, and the Panthers’ defense added 8 takeaways and 22 hits.

Rangers vs Panthers Trends

• Through their last five road games, New York has an puck line record of just 1-4. However, their overall record was 1-4 while averaging 1 goals per game.
• Across the Panthers last three home games, the team averaged 0 goals per game while allowing 3. Their record vs the puck line in these contests was 0-3, while going 1-2 straight-up.
• As the betting underdog, the Panthers have an puck line record of 4-1 in their last five games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 4-1.
• As the betting favorite, the Rangers have an puck line mark of just 0-5 in their last five games. New York posted a straight up mark of 1-4 in these matchups.

Rangers vs Panthers Prediction

To those searching for a pure moneyline wager, the Panthers is the clear pick. Still, with a payout of -199, it’s worth thinking about including this bet in a parlay.

If you’re looking for my recommendation on the puck line, I suggest taking the Rangers to cover. Even if the Panthers manage to win outright, this game is expected to remain competitive, and the Rangers should cover the puck line.

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 6 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* 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.