In the NHL Playoffs, every game matters. Heading into Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, it truly is do-or-die for the New York Rangers. The Florida Panthers went into Madison Square Garden and handled their business in Game 5, setting the table for a potential return to the Stanley Cup Finals with a win on Saturday.
There is a lot of ground to cover going into this crucial Game 6. What happened in Game 5? What is the outlook for each team? Which bets should you be considering going into the game? This is your guide to Rangers vs. Panthers Game 6.
Bet on Panthers vs. Rangers GM 5
The moneyline favourites are the Panthers, coming in between -160 and -170 on the top Canadian Sportsbooks.
Panthers vs. Rangers Best Odds
| Panthers Moneyline Odds | -160 @ Bet99 |
| Rangers Moneyline Odds | +145 @ bet365 |
| Puckline odds | Panthers -1.5 (+164) @ Fanduel Rangers +1.5 (-182) @ Proline+ |
| Series odds | Panthers -550, Rangers +400 @ Bet365 |
| Total | Over 5.5 goals (+115) @ bet365 Under 5.5 goals (-125) @ Proline+ |
| Time/Date | June 1, 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | Broadcast: CBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports Stream: Sportsnet+ (How to watch the NHL in Canada?) |
Last Matchup
This has been a series largely dictated by the goaltending and Game 5 was no different. Both Sergei Bobrovsky and Igor Shesterkin were exceptional to start the game, sending both teams into the locker room with a goose egg on the board after the first.
Chris Kreider, who has had a largely tough series, got the Rangers on the board early in the second period but the lead was short-lived. Gustav Forsling scored his first goal (and point) of the playoffs, but it could not have come at a better time.
Anton Lundell broke the tie with less than 10 minutes to go, and Sam Bennett provided the all-important insurance marker with under two minutes to go. Alexis Lafreniere stayed hot, but it was too little, too late for the Rangers.
Betting New York Rangers (10-5 SU, 9-6 ATS, 7-8 o/u)
The Rangers have been buoyed by Shesterkin and Lafreniere so far in this series. The biggest stars – Kreider, Artemi Panarin, and Mika Zibanejad – have been neutralized by the Panthers and have been virtually silent (Zibanejad did have two assists in Game 5, his first points of the series).
There are rumours that Adam Fox is dealing with some sort of injury, and it is apparent that something is amiss because he doesn’t look like himself. As good as they have been, the Rangers can’t beat a team like the Panthers with that many crucial pieces not contributing.
The Rangers have no more excuses to make. They are now tasked with going into hostile territory in a must-win situation. Shesterkin will need to be at his best once again, but the Rangers need their biggest names to come through when it matters the most.
Betting Florida Panthers (11-5 SU, 11-5 ATS, 7-9 o/u)
The very best teams find contributions from players who aren’t normally a factor during the regular season. The Panthers are getting contributions from all areas of their lineup, making it impossible for their opponents to get any rest.
Part of what makes them so difficult to play against is that they can roll four lines. Carter Verhaeghe has been hot this series, but Sam Bennett and Anton Lundell wound up making the biggest contributions to the stat sheet in this one. The best teams find ways to win no matter where those opportunities come from.
The one thing worth considering heading back to Sunrise, FL is that the Rangers have been very good on the road this postseason. The Rangers are 5-2 on the road so far in these playoffs, and good teams with their backs against the wall can be quite dangerous. The Panthers have a battle on their hands in Game 6, no matter what.
Projected Panthers vs. Rangers Lines
| Today’s New York Rangers Lines | Today’s Florida Panthers Lines |
|---|---|
| Forwards Chris Kreider – Mika Zibanejad – Filip Chytil Artemi Panarin – Vincent Trocheck – Alexis Lafreniere Jack Roslovic – Alex Wennberg – Kaapo Kakko Will Cuylle – Barclay Goodrow – Matt Rempe Defence Ryan Lindgren – Adam Fox Erik Gustafsson – Jacob Trouba K’Andre Miller – Braden Schneider Starting In Goal Igor Shesterkin PO: 10-4-1, 2.29 GAA, 0.927 SV% Season: 36-17-2, 2.56 GAA, 0.913 SV% | Forwards Carter Verhaeghe – Aleksander Barkov – Sam Reinhart Matthew Tkachuk – Sam Bennett – Evan Rodrigues Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Vladimir Tarasenko Steven Lorentz – Kevin Stenlund – Kyle Okposo Defence Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad Niko Mikkola – Brandon Montour Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Dmitry Kulikov Starting In Goal Sergei Bobrovsky PO: 11-3-2, 2.27 GAA, 0.905 SV% Season: 36-17-4, 2.37 GAA, 0.915 SV% |
The lineups will remain largely unchanged going into Game 6. The second line for the Rangers – featuring Trocheck and Lafreniere – has been the biggest force so far. The top line of Verhaeghe – Barkov – Reinhart has been fantastic in this series, Reinhart garnering the game-winner in overtime of Game 4 to help get us to this point.
Carter Verhaeghe to score a goal
Panthers vs. Rangers Injury Concerns
While nearly everyone in both lineups is banged up at this point, very few guys will miss time. For the Panthers, agitator Ryan Lomberg remains sidelined with an undisclosed illness. There was talk that he could suit up for Game 5, but he failed to do so. All eyes will be on him for Game 6.
Speaking of Lomberg, his hit on Jimmy Vesey in Game 1 of the series has kept the latter out since. While the Rangers are calling it an upper-body injury, it seems very much like a shoulder injury. He is not expected to return for the remainder of the series.
NHL Betting Trends
- This series has been so tightly contested that it has needed extra time in three of the five games. Beginning with Game 2 in New York and going through Game 4 in Florida, the two teams have needed overtime in three consecutive games (the Rangers won two of those).
- For two teams that had high-powered offences during the regular season, this has been one of the tightest series of this year’s playoffs. Virtually every game has had an over/under of 5.5, with only Game 3 (5-4 Rangers overtime win) topping the mark.
- Speaking of unders, the Panthers have been on quite the run in that regard. Prior to the aforementioned Game 3 over, the Panthers hadn’t hit the over going back to Game 3 of the Bruins series (five straight games hitting the under).
NHL Player Prop Trends
- Prior to going pointless in Game 5, Verhaeghe had been red hot. He scored a goal in three of the previous four games in the series, for starters. In Game 3, where he didn’t score, he managed two assists. He is among the league leaders in points with 17 in 16 games so far this postseason.
- Lafreniere has been a man possessed in this series. With the biggest stars being restricted by the Panthers, the former first-overall pick has taken control. He had two impressive goals in the aforementioned overtime win, and has a goal in his last three games, bringing him to eight goals in 15 playoff games.
- Aleksander Barkov is starting to gain steam offensively. Though everyone talks about his defensive presence, he has points in his last two contests (two assists in the Game 5 win). When Barkov is clicking on both ends of the ice, the Panthers are extremely difficult to handle.
Panthers vs. Rangers Predictions
- Verhaeghe has been a pivotal player for the Panthers so far. In this series, he has been one of the best players on the ice. Look for him to score anytime (+180, FanDuel), bringing his goal total up to four in a series where the margins have been razor-thin.
- It could be argued that Lafreniere has been the best Ranger in this series aside from Shesterkin. He has a goal in each of the last three games, so look for him to stay hot. Take his points over (0.5, +100 via DraftKings) with confidence.
- Barkov has chosen the best time to find his presence on the stat sheet. With points in each of the last two games, look for Barkov to make it three in a row and get another (-210, betMGM). It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility to see him score in Game 6 (+250, FanDuel), either.
