Opening Hurricanes vs Rangers Series Price and Picks
- The Carolina Hurricanes open as -150 favorites to defeat the New York Rangers in their Stanley Cup qualifying round series
- Which team is the smart play in this set? What trends deserve to be noted in advance of placing any wagers on the series?
- See the series odds and analysis below
The Carolina Hurricanes were dead set against the NHL proposal for a 24-team Stanley Cup playoff tournament. The New York Rangers could be the reason why that was so.
Entering as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, Carolina drew the 11th-seeded Rangers as their qualifying-round matchup. That’s all kinds of bad news for Carolina in the 2020 Stanley Cup odds.
There’s a potential storm brewing here, and in this case, it could wipe out the Hurricanes. The Rangers are Carolina’s kryptonite, as they’ve won five straight vs the ‘Canes.
Hurricanes vs Rangers NHL Playoff Series Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Carolina Hurricanes | -150 |
| New York Rangers | +130 |
Odds taken May 27th
When the NHL season was halted March 12th, the Rangers sat just two points behind the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference standings. But Carolina held two games in hand.
Rangers Storm Hurricanes
The Hurricanes were one of two NHL teams that voted against adopting this playoff format. The Rangers totally get that.
As far as New York is concerned, nothing could be finer than to face Carolina in the qualifying round. The Rangers’ five-game run in which they’ve quelled the Hurricanes stretches back over a year to Feb. 19th, 2019.
The #Rangers will be playing the #Hurricanes in round 1 of the 2020 NHL Playoffs. pic.twitter.com/F0fh7lYmJh
— NYSportsCast (@NYSportCast) May 26, 2020
During that roll, the Rangers have outscored the Hurricanes 19-10. This season, the Rangers won all four meetings by a 17-9 margin on the scoreboard.
New York is 5-1 in its last six games at Carolina. At Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are 18-1 against the Hurricanes since Jan. 5th, 2011.
New York hasn’t lost a season series to Carolina since the 2005-06, going 9-0-5. Overall, the 37-14-1 when facing the Hurricanes since the start of the 2006-07 campaign.
Stars Shining for Rangers
They say to win the Stanley Cup, a team’s best players must be their best players. When the Rangers face the Hurricanes, that’s certainly been the case for New York.
#NYR against the #Canes this year were 4-0, but more importantly their big players showed up:
Zibanejad – 4G 3A 3GP
Panarin – 3G 6A 4GP
Lundqvist – 3W .947 save% 2.33 GAA
Shesterkin – 1W .931 save% 2.00 GAA#PlayLikeANewYorker pic.twitter.com/diws4CKqYi— Brendan (@BrenAzoffFS) May 27, 2020
Rangers forward Artemi Panarin, for whom a realistic case as a Hart Trophy contender can be made, was dominant against Carolina this season. He produced three goals and nine points in four games.
First-line center Mika Zibanejad was also on fire – he scored four goals and added three assists in 3 games.
Who’s In Goal?
Goaltending is vital in any playoff series. For this set, though, it might be the most uncertain quality.
Just prior to the COVID-19-caused pause to the NHL season, both of Carolina’s goalies – Petr Mrazaek (concussion) and James Reimer (lower body injury) – were out. Mrazek made his return in a 5-2 victory at Detroit in Carolina’s final game.
Mrazek figures to get the nod over Reimer, but his numbers when facing the Rangers are alarming. He shows an .886 save percentage, 3.03 goals-against average and 3-4 record against them.
The New York Rangers must consider starting Henrik Lundqvist against the Carolina Hurricanes.
– 2019-20: Lundqvist is 3-0 against Carolina.
– Playoff career: (128 GP, 2.28 GAA and a .922 Sv%)
– Game 7 record: 6-2
Lundqvist plays the best when it matters most. #NYR
— Dylan Spilko (@DylanSpilko) May 23, 2020
There’s a goaltending question mark with the Rangers as well but for completely differing circumstances. Rookie Igor Shesterkin looked to have usurped the #1 role from veteran Henrik Lundqvist at the time of the NHL shutdown.
Shesterkin was 10-2, compared to the 10-12-3 slate of Lundqvist. King Henrik sat on his throne guarding the Rangers’ net in just three of the team’s last 19 games.
However, Lundqvist displays a dominant resume against Carolina. He’s beaten the Hurricanes three times this season, posting a .947 save percentage. Overall, his record when facing Carolina is 33-12-1, with a .934 save percentage and 2.00 GAA.
Pick: New York Rangers (+130)
Additional NHL Qualifying Round Coverage:
- Opening Series Prices for All NHL First-Round Playoff Matchups
- Canucks Open as -140 Favorites Over Wild in Best-of-Five Qualifying Round
- Penguins Massive -200 Favorites Over Canadiens in Opening Best-of-Five Series Odds
- Islanders vs Panthers Opening Series Odds and Picks
- Calgary Flames vs Winnipeg Jets Series Odds Open as a Pick’em
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
