Florida Panthers vs New York Rangers Game 2 Prediction, Odds & Betting Trends (May. 24)

• The Eastern Conference Final continues on Friday night
• We’ve made our Panthers vs Rangers prediction for Game 2
• Read below for Rangers vs Panthers Game 2 odds, prediction and betting trends

The Eastern Conference Final continues on Friday night as the Florida Panthers visit the New York Rangers for a pivotal Game 2 matchup at Madison Square Garden. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:00 PM ET with national coverage on ESPN in the United States and SportsNet, CBC and TVAS in Canada.

After the Panthers shutout the Rangers to take the opening game, oddsmakers are pricing the Cats as -115 road favorites for Game 2. The over/under is offered at 5.5 for what projects to be another low-scoring goalie duel.

Let’s analyze the Panthers vs Rangers series odds and trends as we provide our Game 2 Panthers vs Rangers prediction.

Florida Panthers vs New York Rangers Odds

In the Panthers vs Rangers odds for Game 2, Florida is the -115 favorite, giving them 53.5% implied win probability.

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Odds as of May 23, 2024, at BetMGM Sportsbook. Claim the best BetMGM promos to bet on Panthers vs Rangers Game 2.

Cats Take 1-0 Series Lead

The Panthers took a 1-0 series lead with an impressive 3-0 shutout win in Game 1. Matthew Tkachuk opened the scoring late in the first period and that goal held up as the game-winner. Carter Verhaeghe added an insurance tally with under four minutes left in regulation and Sam Bennett sealed it with an empty-netter.

Sergei Bobrovsky was perfect in net, stopping all 23 shots he faced for his first shutout of the playoffs. Not only did Bob get his first individual shutout, but he also provided the Cats with their first road shutout since 1996.

In Bob we trust. pic.twitter.com/zt1cqCiSwI

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) May 23, 2024

It was a disappointing effort from the Rangers, who were shut out on home ice in the playoffs for the first time since 2015. They generated some quality chances, especially in the third period, but couldn’t solve Bobrovsky. New York hit a couple posts and were stymied on both of their power play opportunities.

Coach Peter Laviolette called it far from their “best version” and the Blueshirts will need to elevate their game significantly to avoid falling into a 2-0 hole.

Panthers Betting Outlook

Looking at the Panthers, they’ve now won four straight on the road and are 5-1 away from home in the playoffs. Their smothering defensive style has been on full display, holding opponents to two goals or less in six of their last seven overall. In fact, there have been five goals or fewer scored in each of Florida’s past four contests.

Offensively, Tkachuk continues to be the catalyst up front. He leads the team with 16 points (5 goals, 11 assists) in the playoffs after an 88-point regular season. Verhaeghe has a team-high seven goals to go along with six assists. Veterans Aleksander Barkov (5G, 8A) and Sam Reinhart (5G, 4A) provide scoring depth.

In net, Bobrovsky has found his Vezina Trophy-winning form at the perfect time. Since a shaky outing in Game 2 against Boston, he’s 5-1 with a sparkling .935 save percentage and 1.33 goals against average. Bob has allowed two goals or less in six straight starts.

Rangers Betting Outlook

For the Rangers, they’ll need to get their big guns going to even the series. Mika Zibanejad, who had 72 points in the regular season, was held off the scoresheet in Game 1 and is still searching for his first goal of the series.

Artemi Panarin, coming off a 120-point campaign, also went pointless with a -3 rating on Wednesday. Chris Kreider has seven goals in the playoffs but only two shots in the opener.

"This is not an excuse at all because we're both playing on the same ice. But the ice wasn't the best. But that's gonna be the case at this time of year. They put everything behind us and they went to work"

– Chris Kreider pic.twitter.com/BH3gdqs7Jv

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) May 23, 2024

The good news is Igor Shesterkin played well enough to win Game 1, stopping 24 of 26 shots for a .926 save percentage. It was the first time in these playoffs he’s posted a save percentage above .890 and lost. Shesterkin has a .926 save percentage and 2.37 GAA in 11 starts this postseason.

Special teams could be an X-factor in Game 2. The Rangers went 0/2 on the power play in Game 1 after clicking at 31.4% through the first two rounds. They’ll need to cash in with the man advantage to get their offense jumpstarted. The Panthers have been excellent on the penalty kill all playoffs, operating at 85.7%.

Injuries and Betting Trends

The Rangers are dealing with a notable injury to forward Blake Wheeler. The veteran winger has been out since mid-February with a lower-body injury and is done for the season. The Panthers are fully healthy.

In terms of betting trends, the Panthers are 5-1 straight up in their last six overall and 4-1 SU in their last five on the road. The under is 4-1 in their last five games.

The Rangers are 10-3 SU in their last 13 games overall but just 1-2 SU in their last three at home. The over is 18-2 in the last 20 meetings between these teams at Madison Square Garden.

Game 2 Prediction

This feels like a true toss-up with the Rangers desperate to avoid a 2-0 deficit before going on the road. They’ve been resilient all season and have yet to lose back-to-back games in the playoffs. Expect a much better effort in Game 2, especially from their top players. Shesterkin should be sharper as well after a so-so Game 1 by his standards.

However, it’s hard to bet against this Panthers team right now with how well they are playing defensively in front of a locked-in Bobrovsky. They give up nothing easy and make you earn every inch of ice. If they can continue to frustrate the Rangers’ skilled forwards and keep this a low-event game, they have a great shot of stealing another one on the road.

Ultimately, this series has the feel of one that will go the distance. Look for the Rangers to narrowly even things up on home ice with a much better all-around performance. But don’t expect much separation on the scoreboard. Our most confident play is the “under” as we expect these two elite goalies to go save for save in another tight, low-scoring battle.

Game 2 Picks:

• Under 5.5 (-105)
• Rangers ML (-105)