Current Form: In recent weeks, the Rangers have been showing improved results, which seem to meet the expectations of both fans and experts. Currently, they are in 13th place in the Eastern Conference, just 4 points away from a playoff spot. In their recent matches, the team defeated Utah (5-3) and Columbus (1-0 in a shootout), but suffered an overtime loss to Montreal (4-5), highlighting their instability in critical moments.
Despite their victories, the team is facing challenges in their power play (with an 18.8% conversion rate), and they also accumulate a significant amount of penalty minutes — an average of 8.61 minutes per game. However, it’s important to note that they remain dangerous in attack and can rely on experienced players such as Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad, who are capable of making a difference at any moment.
Key Players
Strengths
Prediction: If the Rangers can avoid mistakes in discipline and make the most of their power play opportunities, they are likely to win this match. Their chances of victory are high, especially if they dominate in attack.
Current Form: Ottawa is in excellent form at the moment and could very well fight for a playoff spot if they continue to play at this high level. Currently, they are in 9th place in the Eastern Conference, and it seems they’ve hit their best form of the season. The Canadians recently won important games, defeating Pittsburgh (5-0), Dallas (3-2), and the Islanders (2-0). However, they did lose to Washington (0-1 in overtime), which highlights the need for improvement in closing out games.
Ottawa is known for its physical style of play, and they have been quite effective in this area. However, despite the team’s strong performances, they’ve faced difficulties on the road, with 11 losses in regulation so far. They continue to fight for points, though, and remain a tough opponent for top teams in the league.
Key Players
Strengths
Injuries and Suspensions
Ottawa will be missing several key players: Hamonic, Ullmark, Gregor, Reinhart, Bernard-Docker, and Perron will not be available for the upcoming game, which weakens the team.
Prediction: Despite the injury setbacks, Ottawa remains a dangerous opponent. However, given their struggles on the road and the absence of key players, it will be challenging for them to get a win on the road. In this match, they may find it hard to overcome a team like the Rangers.
This game is expected to be tense and unpredictable. The Rangers, playing at home, have a slight advantage, especially if they manage to control discipline and make the most of their power play opportunities. Ottawa will fight for every point, but their away struggles and key injuries may impact their performance.
Winner: Rangers — They have a better chance of winning if they demonstrate their offensive power and avoid defensive mistakes. A narrow victory is likely, with the possibility of the game going into overtime.
At the moment, the Rangers are showing a confident game and have significantly improved their results recently. The team looks decent even against strong opponents, and they should demonstrate all their capabilities at home. At the same time, Ottawa is not impressive on the road, often losing in regulation time. In addition, in the last meetings between these clubs, the advantage was more often on the side of the hosts. Based on this, we can expect that Laviolette's charges will again please their fans with a good game. Bookmakers give a coefficient of 2.20 for the Rangers, 4.40 for a draw, and 2.90 for Ottawa. Total over 5.5 goals is offered for 1.85, total under - for 1.95
Prediction - Rangers victory
Place your bets with a coefficient of 2.20
