The New York Rangers come into the playoffs fresh off their Presidents’ Trophy win as the NHL’s top team as they reignite their postseason rivalry with the Washington Capitals for the first time since 2015.
New York is the huge favorite on paper in this series thanks in part to Artemi Panarin, who put up a career-high 120 points, but will Breadman and the Blueshirts live up to the hype in Game 1?
Check out my Capitals vs. Rangers predictions and NHL picks for Sunday, April 21 below.
Capitals vs Rangers prediction
My best bet
Artemi Panarin Over 1.5 points (+110 at Pinnacle)
My analysis
It was a career year for Artemi Panarin, who topped the New York Rangers with 49 goals and 120 points to lead the club to its first Presidents’ Trophy since 2015 — coincidentally the same year they last faced the Washington Capitals in the playoffs.
Panarin finished his regular season on a tear — posting at least one point in each of his last 13 games — and I’ll look for him to start the postseason on the right foot with a multi-point effort against the Caps.
The Rangers star posted 34 multi-point games in 82 appearances this season, just three shy of the most in a campaign in franchise history. Panarin’s multi-point performances became even more frequent down the stretch as he notched 2+ points in 13 of his final 30 games to close out the season.
Breadman should have plenty of opportunity to put up points against a Caps defense that ranked near the bottom of the league in most categories. Per Natural Stat Trick, Washington was 25th in shot attempts against per game (63.2) and 21st in expected goals against per game (3.1).
Panarin’s power-play prowess could also be a significant factor tonight as he collected 44 points on the man advantage this season, tied for third most in the NHL.
The Capitals were slightly below average on the penalty kill at 79% (21st) while the Rangers’ power play was among the league’s elite at 26.4% (3rd).
Capitals vs Rangers same-game parlay (SGP)
Artemi Panarin Over 1.5 points
Artemi Panarin 4+ shots on goal
Under 5.5
Along with a multi-point game for Panarin, I’ll also take Breadman to put at least four shots on net. He’s recorded 4+ shots in three straight games and seven of his last eight contests, while the Capitals give up 30.5 shots per game — tied for 11th most in the NHL this season.
I’ll finish off today’s SGP by taking the Under at 5.5. Washington saw its goal-scoring slow to a crawl in the last month of the season, averaging just 2.00 gpg in its final 11 contests.
New York also owned the seventh-best defense in the NHL at 2.76 gapg while Igor Shesterkin’s .913 SV% ranked tied for eighth among all goalies with at least 30 games played.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Capitals vs Rangers odds
Capitals vs Rangers live odds
Capitals vs Rangers opening odds
- Puck line: Washington +1.5 (-143) | New York -1.5 (113)
- Moneyline: Washington +175 | New York -225
- Over/Under: Over 5.5 | Under 5.5
Capitals vs Rangers moneyline and Over/Under analysis
- The Rangers opened as the massive home favorite at -226 and saw their edge jump up closer to -250 at most books by Saturday night.
- The total opened at 5.5 goals with the Over at +101 and the Under at -114.
- The Rangers are 10-3 in their last 13 games and 4-2 in their last six meetings against the Capitals.
- The Under is 5-0-3 in Washington’s last eight games and 3-0 in New York’s last three contests.
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Capitals vs Rangers trend
New York is 5-1 in the last six meetings at home. Find more NHL betting trends for Capitals vs. Rangers.
Capitals vs Rangers game info
| Location: | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY |
| Date: | Sunday, 4-21-2024 |
| Puck drop: | 3:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ESPN |
Capitals vs Rangers latest injuries
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