The New York Rangers visit the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night, with puck drop set for 9:00 p.m. ET at Rogers Arena. On DraftKings Sportsbook, New York is a -225 favorite on the Moneyline, while the total is set at O/U 6.5 goals.
Below, I’ll break down the matchup and provide my top Canucks vs. Rangers prediction and best bet.
Canucks vs. Rangers Odds
| Market | New York Rangers | Vancouver Canucks |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | -225 | +185 |
| Puck Line | -1.5 (+114) | +1.5 (-135) |
| Total | Over 6.5 (-105) | Under 6.5 (-115) |
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook and subject to change.
Canucks vs. Rangers Betting Preview
Vancouver Canucks Outlook
The Canucks are 3-16-1, have lost six straight games and are just 1-8-0 at Rogers Arena. To make things worse, the underlying numbers suggest this isn’t a case of bad luck, either. They own the NHL’s worst 5v5 xGoals share (40.0%) and worst Fenwick% in all situations (43.5%), and they’ve allowed a league-high 65 high-danger shots. Over the past 10 games, it has gotten even uglier, as Vancouver has given up 3.61 goals per 60 at 5v5, the most in the NHL.
Elias Pettersson (4G, 16A) leads the team with 20 points, but the depth production has been lackluster. Brock Boeser (7G, 10A) is tied for the team lead in goals, but he has done it on just 3.9 xGoals. Thatcher Demko (hip) remains on injured reserve, so Leevi Merilainen will likely draw the start again tonight. Merilainen has lost each of his past five starts and sports an .889 SV% and 3.41 GAA, and his -2.3 GSAx and -0.32% SV% above expected rank 58th and 49th, respectively, among 76 goaltenders.
New York Rangers Outlook
The Rangers lost Igor Shesterkin to a season-ending knee injury in October, and Dylan Garand has held the fort better than most would have expected. Garand sports a 6-7-1 record with a .905 SV% and 2.48 GAA, and his +1.6 GSAx and +0.24% SV% above expected rank 20th and 25th, respectively.
New York’s overall process has been trending up lately, too. Over the past 10 games, the Rangers rank T-4th in 5v5 xGoals per 60 (2.82) and T-6th in xGoals share (53.3%), and their 66 high-danger shots this season rank second in the NHL. The finishing hasn’t fully caught up yet, as their 2.22 5v5 goals per 60 rank 21st against 2.59 5v5 xGoals per 60 (T-11th). Pavel Dorofeyev is a good example of this, leading the team with 60 shots and 8.4 xGoals while scoring just six goals. Adam Fox (2G, 20A) leads the Rangers with 22 points, and Alexis Lafreniere (9G, 11A) leads the club in goals. The Rangers are just 3-6-1 on the road, but they’ve won two of three on this road trip, including a 3-1 win in Calgary on Wednesday.
Canucks vs. Rangers Prediction and Best Bet
New York beat Vancouver 6-2 at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 11. The Rangers have won four of the past five meetings, too. The Moneyline is far too juiced at -225, but the puck line makes a lot of sense. Nine of the Rangers’ 11 wins have come by two goals or more, and the Canucks have lost by multiple goals in seven of their past 10 games and in six of their nine home games. Vancouver doesn’t create many chances, its goaltending has been bad, and New York has been generating chances at one of the best rates in the NHL.
Best Bet: Rangers -1.5 Puck Line (+114)
Advanced stats courtesy of MoneyPuck.
