Tuesday night means hockey night, and the second week of the NHL season won’t disappoint with this slate. The eight-game schedule gets started with a meeting between the New York Rangers (2-2-0) and Edmonton Oilers (1-1-0), a matchup with some intrigue for a couple of postseason-caliber rosters. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl against Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox… what’s not to love?
Here’s a Rangers vs. Oilers prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for Tuesday evening’s contest.
Rangers vs. Oilers prediction, preview
The Rangers have played four games to this point, double that of the Oilers. Results for New York to start the Mike Sullivan era have already been up and down, but after an ugly 0-3 loss to the Capitals in game one, the team’s now scored 11 goals across their last three games with a couple of dominant wins and a 1-0 loss to the Capitals. To start the season, Fox looks like an early candidate for the Norris once more with four points in four games, including a team-high three goals. While Panarin hasn’t gotten going yet with just two assists without a goal and Mika Zibanejad has just one point, J.T. Miller looks healthy with three points and sits tied with Sam Carrick for second-most on the team. The power play hits at an average rate of 18.2%, but the penalty kill remains perfect with a 100% kill rate thus far. Igor Shesterkin also might just have regained his old form with a SV% of .976% and an 0.67 GAA after allowing just two goals on 85 attempts thus far. He’s notched a 2-1 record with a shutout and should assume his role in net for this one.
Looking toward the Oilers, they’ve played just two regular-season games with a 4-3 win loss to the Flames and a 3-1 win over the Canucks. The expectation of another Stanley Cup appearance is clear in Edmonton, especially with Connor McDavid extended on one of the best value contracts in the league. At the moment, McDavid is yet to score a goal but sits tied for the team lead with three points alongside Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Draisaitl paces the roster with two goals, but second-liner Andrew Mangiapane has also scored two himself as well. The Oilers’ power play has hit at a 22.2% rate, ninth in the league on a small sample size, and the penalty kill has shut down 83.3% of shorthanded opportunities. The story will be which player gets the start in goal on Tuesday — Stuart Skinner posted a poor outing with a meme-worthy lowlight in his one appearance, allowing three goals on 22 attempts, while Calvin Pickard stopped 14-of-15 attempts for a .933 SV% last time out. He probably gets the edge in this one.
Rangers vs. Oilers pick, best bet
The Oilers enter Tuesday’s action as -135 road favorites to win on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Rangers are listed as +114 underdogs to win outright with a game total set at 5.5.
Don’t get it twisted — Edmonton has more talent on its roster at most positions, as well as the two best players in the game with McDavid and Draisaitl. That pair are virtually impossible to stop, and the Oilers are genuinely deep both on the attacking front and on the blue line. However, there’s one thing they don’t have that New York does… a star goaltender.
The Rangers have some talent throughout, and if Panarin can get going, the team can certainly compete in this game. Even if he doesn’t, though. Shesterkin’s presence between the pipes gives his team some insulation from defensive lapses against some of the best players in the league. He’s posted three fantastic games and was let down by his offense in the one loss. Skinner certainly doesn’t provide a similar advantage, and while Pickard played well last game, he doesn’t either. If Shesterkin is locked in like this moving forward, we’re looking at another legitimate Vezina candidate with the potential to add his second trophy to the case.
The Oilers will certainly prove a challenge on Tuesday, but I do think the Rangers are up to the task and will play competitive hockey throughout. With a little bit of plus value, I like them to upset straight up in front of the home crowd in New York.
