- What: Florida Panthers vs New York Rangers - East Finals
- When: Game 1 scheduled for Wednesday, May 22nd
- Where: Amerant Bank Arena/Madison Square Garden
The Eastern Conference Finals are set. The Florida Panthers and the New York Rangers will go to battle starting on Wednesday with Game 1, as the winner of the series goes on to play in the Stanley Cup. Florida was dominant in round one, taking out the Tampa Bay Lightning before eliminating the Boston Bruins in six games in the conference semifinals, the second season in a row they took down their Atlantic rivals. As for New York, they've looked like arguably the best team in these playoffs, getting past the Washington Capitals and the high-flying Carolina Hurricanes. This should be a fantastic matchup. Continue reading for the Panthers vs Rangers series picks.
Before we get into the odds, preview, and prediction, make sure to check out our NHL Playoffs Page and our Stanley Cup Odds.
Panthers vs Rangers Series Odds
The Panthers are the series favorite at -130 odds for an implied win probability of 56.52%. The Rangers return at +150 and have a 40% chance of coming out victorious in the East Finals. Florida won two of three meetings in 2023-24, but New York has won five of the last seven overall.
Can Panthers Get Back to The Cup?
Florida's Cinderella run to last year's Cup shocked many. Little did they know the Cats would improve and be one of the best teams in the league this season. Paul Maurice's group won the Atlantic Division, easily the toughest divisions in hockey. They've looked every part of a title contender in the playoffs, too. Florida is scoring 3.55 goals per game in the postseason while conceding just 2.45 per night. The core guys are getting the job done and Sergei Bobrovsky is rock solid in net.
Matthew Tkachuk is playing out of his mind, registering a team-best 14 points (four goals, 10 assists). Aleksander Barkov has 13 points as well, while Carter Verhaeghe has registered 11 with a team-best six goals. Sam Reinhart may only have nine points but he's tallied the most shots of any player on the Cats. The conference finals would be the perfect time for Reinhart to break out.
The Panthers had a 3-1 series lead against the Bruins but lost Game 5, setting up a possible series clincher on Friday. Florida got it done, winning 2-1 thanks to a late goal from Gustav Forsling. The Cats banged in the goals versus Boston, especially in Games 2 and 3, combining for 12 of them following a Game 1 loss. We'll see if they can keep that up against a strong Rangers blue line.
Rangers Are Rolling
It's crystal clear the Rangers are for real. New York won the Presidents' Trophy with a 55-23-4 record and soared past the Capitals in the first round, sweeping them and keeping Alex Ovechkin scoreless in the process. That ain't easy. Then in round two, the Hurricanes, who many thought could go all the way, proved to be no match for the Rangers.
Although every game was close, NY took a 3-0 series lead before losing two in a row. But, they ultimately finished things off on Thursday in Game 6 with a 5-3 victory. The Rangers were last in the conference finals in 2022. This is a very talented squad with so much depth who won't be scared of anyone. Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck both already have 14 points each in these playoffs while Artemi Panarin has 11. Alex Lafreniere and Chris Kreider are in double digits as well. You can see why the Rangers are dangerous. Left and right, there are producers.
New York is scoring 3.50 times per night in the playoffs and allowing a mere 2.60. In the postseason, Igor Shesterkin is 8-2-0 with a 2.40 GAA and a .923 save percentage. He has been the go-to man for Peter Laviolette and it won't change in this series. Shesterkin will have his work cut out for him, but it's not like the Hurricanes didn't have superstars who could score the puck, too. The first two games of the series will be at the iconic Madison Square Garden, which should play in the Rangers' favor.
Panthers vs Rangers Series Picks
I do think this is a series that will go the full seven games. But, I'm taking the Panthers and their experience to propel them into the Stanley Cup.
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