The New York Rangers host the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night in what should be a terrific game. New York has been on a remarkable run of late, and Colorado continues to be a Stanley Cup betting favorite.
The Avalanche have improved their record to 13-7-2 on the year, and they have climbed up to fourth place in the Central Division. Colorado has gone just 3-2 in their last five games, and this is going to be a difficult test.
New York has now won seven straight games, including an impressive 6-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night. The Rangers are in second place in the Metropolitan Division, and they are going to be a tough out in the postseason.
Despite the recent run from New York, the Avalanche are the betting favorite at -140.
Avalanche Cruising on Offense
The Colorado Avalanche continue to overwhelm opponents with their offense, and that is how they are going to attack the Rangers on Wednesday night. Colorado is now scoring 4.14 goals per game, but they are also giving up nearly 3.5 goals per night.
The Avalanche have scored on 24 percent of their power-play chances this season, and that is another area in which they can take over a game. There are a number of Avalanche players dealing with injuries, but this is a team that has a ton of depth.
Nazem Kadri leads the way with 31 points on the year, including a team-high 21 assists. Cale Makar has scored a team-high 11 goals, and his effort from the defensive end of the ice has turned the Avalanche into an explosive team.
Finding a way to get some stops will continue to be a goal for the Avalanche, but the offense is good enough to beat anyone.
Defense Must Dominate For Rangers
New York has a pretty solid offensive attack as well, but they aren’t as explosive as Colorado. The Rangers are scoring 3.04 goals per game, but this game is going to have to be one with its defense.
New York is allowing just 2.46 goals per game this season, and they have been completely dominant during this run. Ian Shesterkin has posted a 13-3-2 record this season, and he is going to have to set the tone in this matchup.
Artemi Panarin has started to step up his play on the offensive end of the ice, and he leads the Rangers with 30 total points. New York just scored four goals in a period on Tuesday night, and a similar effort will be needed in this one.
Avs Snap Rangers’ Run
New York is coming into this game with a ton of momentum, but they are also going to be a bit fatigued after playing on Tuesday night. The Rangers are going to have to slow this game down to keep up, but that’s not easy to do against the explosive Colorado Avalanche.
Colorado can really score, and they are going to light the lamp a ton in this one. The Rangers want to slow down the tempo, but the Avalanche just have so many offensive weapons to throw at them.
This should be one of the best NHL games of the month, but the visitors score a late goal to win the game. Bet the Colorado Avalanche -140 over the New York Rangers in this big NHL showdown on Wednesday night.