The New York Rangers will attempt to extend their winning streak to seven games when they visit the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night at Rogers Place.
New York enters the contest winners of six straight games after a 6-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night, while Edmonton is coming off a 5-4 shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings also on Wednesday. The Oilers have dropped back-to-back games for the first time since early January.
The Oilers are -125 home favourites and the total is set at 6.5 goals.
Rangers vs. Jets odds
| Rangers Moneyline Odds | +105 |
| Oilers Moneyline Odds | -125 |
| Over/Under | 6.5 goals (over -140, under +120) |
| Time/Date | Friday, Feb. 17, 9 p.m. ET |
| TV | Sportsnet West/TVAS |
Previous matchup
The Oilers skated to a 4-3 victory over the Rangers back on Nov. 26 at Madison Square Garden. Edmonton rallied from a 3-0 deficit to score four third-period goals and snatch a road win. Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard scored twice and Dylan Holloway got his first NHL goal in the comeback. Edmonton was a +145 underdog on the moneyline and the teams combined to play over the 6.5-goal total.
Friday’s contest between the two teams will be the second and final time they’ll meet during the regular season.
About the Rangers (32-14-6, 27-27 ATS, 25-28 o/u)
The Rangers are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games and an incredible 21-4-3 in their last 28 contests. As a result of a tremendous stretch of hockey, they’re quickly rising up the Metropolitan Division standings and closing the gap on the New Jersey Devils (three points behind) and Carolina Hurricanes (trail by eight points) for the top two spots in the division.
Finding the back of the net hasn’t been a problem for the Rangers during their winning streak as the team is averaging a whopping 5.16 goals per game during the run. The team is averaging 3.37 goals per game (ninth in the league) through 54 games this season.
New York will be playing the third game of its current four-game road trip on Friday night. A date with the Calgary Flames is set for Saturday night.
Player to watch: Artemi Panarin
Panarin is on a tear right now, amassing six goals and six assists over his last five games. New York’s recent acquisition of fellow Russian forward Vladimir Tarasenko has seemingly re-energized Panarin, as the two have developed a close relationship since playing together in the 2011 World Juniors. He’s had back-to-back multi-goal games coming into this matchup.
About the Oilers (30-19-3, 29-26 ATS, 33-17 o/u)
The Oilers will be feeling the pressure to get back in the win column after dropping contests to the Montreal Canadiens and Red Wings, two teams currently not in playoff spots. Edmonton is sitting comfortably in the first Wild Card spot in the Western Conference with 66 points, but another loss could spark even more trade rumours surrounding the club.
Forward Jesse Puljujarvi was absent from team practice on Thursday, leading to speculation he could be dealt shortly with the trade deadline just weeks away. The team is rumoured to be interested in acquiring San Jose Sharks defenceman Erik Karlsson and Chicago Blackhawks sniper Patrick Kane, among others, for the stretch run.
Edmonton will need to right the ship quickly, as dates with high-profile opponents like the Colorado Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Winnipeg Jets are all on the schedule leading up to the Mar. 3 trade deadline.
Player to watch: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Connor McDavid is always hot and a popular bet to score or accumulate points on any given day, but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is also playing very well recently. The centre is coming off a three-point performance (two goals, one assist) against Detroit, and has five goals and eight assists in his last nine contests.
Probable goaltenders
New York: Igor Shesterkin (23-7-7, 2.52 GAA, .915 SV%) – unconfirmed.
Edmonton: Stuart Skinner (13-11-4, 2.95 GAA, .913 SV%) – unconfirmed.
Betting trends to watch
- The Rangers have played over the total in five consecutive games.
- New York is 1-6 in the past seven meetings between the teams.
- The Oilers have played over the total in 24 of their last 35 games overall.
Wagers to consider
- Rangers moneyline: +105 (bet365). You’ve got to love getting plus money on the red-hot Rangers in this spot. New York should be hungry to avenge its total collapse against Edmonton the last time out and the team’s confidence couldn’t be higher coming into this matchup.
- Panarin to score two or more goals: +1100. Ride the hot hand and put a sprinkle on Panarin to light the lamp a couple of times against the Oilers, who have allowed 10 goals over their last two games and have struggled defensively all season long.
