Welcome back to NHL Predictions with Last Word on Hockey. Here, we provide in-depth insight into the best matchups around the NHL. Today we dive into the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers.
NHL Predictions
New Jersey Devils vs New York Rangers
Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
TV: MSG; MSGSN; ESPN+
Head-to-Head: New Jersey leads season series 2-0-0
The Devils look to continue their success this season in the Hudson River Rivalry. New Jersey won both meetings last month by a combined score of 10-1.
Devils Can Salvage Long Trip
New Jersey concludes their season-long six-game road trip with their second trip to Madison Square Garden this season. The Devils lost the first four games of the trip before picking up a win in their most recent game with Seattle. Despite the difficult trip, they find themselves firmly in playoff position with a 25-14-3 record. Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes continue to pace the team with 48 points each. Both have six points against the Rangers, with Hughes even finding the back of the net twice in each contest. The rest of the offence has been bare for the Devils. Dawson Mercer and Paul Cotter each found the back of the net Monday night. Look for them to potentially find consistency in their game moving forward.
In net, Jacob Markström has broken out vintage Martin Brodeur like performances against the Rangers. In the two starts he has made, Markstrom has stopped 49 of 50 Rangers shots on net.
Singing the Broadway Blues
New York enters this one coming off another demoralizing defeat. On Tuesday, they fell to the Dallas Stars, 5-4 in overtime, after holding a 3-0 lead in the first period. It has been rough waters through the opening half of the season for the Rangers, who find themselves at 18-20-2. This mark finds them near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Despite the struggles, playoff positioning is not that distant, and a decent stretch could put the Rangers back above the line. The Rangers will once again be without Chris Kreider and Igor Shesterkin in this rivalry matchup, as both currently reside on the IR.
Artemi Panarin has been a bright spot for the Rangers offence with 16 goals and 43 points. Adam Fox is second on the team with 31 points. In order to find success, the Rangers will need other key players like Mika Zibanejad, Alexis Lafreniere and Vincent Trocheck to find a rhythm. Matt Rempe should also be returning from an eight-game suspension last month, so expect some big hitting and physical play that we hadn’t seen in the first two meetings.
Predictions
The first two meetings between New Jersey and New York were not very competitive. The Devils got out to early leads on both occasions and never looked back. The Devils led 4-0 in both meetings and had the games wrapped up fairly early in the third period. Both teams continue on opposite trajectories, with the Rangers trying to salvage their season. The Devils had lost four in a row before Monday, but don’t need to hit any panic button yet.
New Jersey is the better team so far this year and would like to continue their success against their cross-river rival. The Rangers would do well to follow up their devastating loss on Tuesday with a solid showing in front of their fans. Give the edge to the Devils in this round of NHL Predictions, but don’t expect the Rangers to allow yet another laugher to a divisional foe.
Prediction: 4-2 New Jersey
Prop Bets of the Night
New Jersey opens up at -1.5 on the road. The Devils top-end scorers love playing the Rangers and could rack up quite a few goals quickly against a struggling Rangers unit.
Jack Hughes plays his best hockey against the Rangers. So far in his career, he has 15 goals and 11 assists in just 22 regular season games against them. With multiple goals in both meetings earlier this season, taking Hughes at +150 to score should be an easy winner for this game.
On the Rangers side, Jimmy Vesey at +650 to score at any time might be worth a chance. Vesey only has 2 goals in 10 career games against New Jersey but always seems to be around the action when these two play.
Main Photo Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images
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The post NHL Predictions: January 9 New Jersey Devils vs New York Rangers appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.