AP
The Rangers continue their Western road trip against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday.
While these sides enter this matchup with good records, there are comparable flaws to nitpick.
Rangers vs. Canucks Odds
| Team | Odds | Puck line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rangers | -125 | -1.5 (+185) | o6 (-120) |
| Canucks | +105 | +1.5 (-225) | u6 (+100) |
Facing teams that entered the year at shorter than +100 to make the NHL playoffs, the Canucks hold a record of 2-4-1 and a -13 goal differential.
Over the past 10 games they hold an expected goal share of 49.68 percent, and have relied heavily on surprisingly dominant play from goaltender Kevin Lankinen.
Vancouver’s current second defensive pairing of Tyler Myers and Carson Soucy has been a significant concern.
Among pairings to play 125 minutes together, this ranks as the fifth-worst unit in the league with an expected goal share of 40.2 percent.
Brock Boeser’s absence leaves a significant hole in the offensive core, and J.T. Miller has struggled to chip in offensively since Boeser’s injury.
The Rangers also have had some disappointing performances versus elite sides, including their matchup versus Winnipeg last week.
They hold an expected goal share of 45.31 percent over the last 10 games and have been out-shot by 5.98 shots per 60 minutes in that span.
The Rangers’ current concerns look less meaningful than the Canucks’ entering this matchup.
Year after year, the Rangers’ combination of truly elite netminder Igor Shesterkin and potent finishing talents has proven to be underrated from an analytical standpoint.
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The Canucks essentially have zero wins over high-quality teams (they beat Florida without Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk), and their overall level of play has clearly been aided by a highly favorable schedule.
While the Rangers haven’t been entirely dominant, the defending Presidents’ Trophy winners have still proven more than the Canucks have in the early going.
I see value backing the Blueshirts to earn two points Tuesday night.
THE PLAY: Rangers moneyline (-125, BetMGM)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Nicholas Martin handicaps the NHL, MLB and NFL for the New York Post. He strives to include relevant game notes in articles to help bettors come to their own conclusions, but is also up 180 units himself on verified picks in a sports betting app. You can find Nick on X @nickm_hockey.