The New York Rangers (20-19-6) and Boston Bruins (23-19-2) meet in the NHL tonight. Puck drop is set for 1:00 p.m. EST at TD Garden in Boston, Mass. The game will be broadcast live on ABC.
The Bruins are favored by -1.5 on the puck line, with the over/under set at 6.5 (52-cents / 63-cents). The Bruins are a 54-cent favorite to win outright, while the Rangers are 47-cents to pull off the upset on Fanatics Markets.
Let's get into my Rangers vs. Bruins predictions and NHL picks.
Rangers vs. Bruins Odds, Pick
- Rangers vs. Bruins Spread: Bruins -1.5, Rangers +1.5
- Rangers vs. Bruins Over/Under: 6.5 (52-cents / 63-cents)
- Rangers vs. Bruins Moneyline: Rangers 47-cents, Bruins 54-cents
Rangers vs. Bruins Preview
New York Rangers
The last time I wrote about the Rangers was in regards to the Winter Classic, and I believe I called them “a mess.”
So what did they do in response? They destroyed the Panthers 5-1, with Mika Zibanejad posting a hat trick and five points.
Well, now things are a bit different. Star defenseman Adam Fox and goaltender Igor Shesterkin are both on injured reserve and don’t foresee them coming back anytime soon.
The hits keep coming for the Rangers, because despite that 5-1 blowout, there hasn’t been much else to write about. At 5-on-5 since December 22, they’re ranked eighth in expected goals with a 44.97 xGF%, as well as eighth defensively with a 3.13 xGA/60.
Artemi Panarin has at least been red hot, posting a multi-point game in five out of his last seven, Zibanejad has points in four straight and Vincent Trocheck has points in six out of his last seven games.
Not only that, New York’s special teams have been really strong, with both the power play and penalty kill converting at least at an 80% success rate.
So things should be better off, right?
Well, for the longest time, goaltending has been able to save the Rangers’ bacon. Without Shesterkin, and relying on 40-year-old Jonathan Quick, pardon me for being skeptical.
Quick has been a fantastic backup, but as an everyday goaltender, he’s far from it these days. We may see him start hot, but I expect his age to catch up to him until Shesterkin returns.
Boston Bruins
At one point, the Bruins were one of the hottest teams in the NHL.
Well, that seems to have fizzled out. December, they were met with a 6-7-1 record, but they have bounced back with a 2-1 start to the year of 2026.
Boston’s 5-on-5 game hasn’t been much better than its opponents. While the Rangers are eighth in both expected goals and xGA/60, the Bruins are ninth with a 46.57 xGF% and 10th with a 2.91 xGA/60.
This has mainly been a two-man show, though, as both David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie have performed at a tremendously high level.
Though Geekie has slowed down a lot. He hasn’t scored a goal in eight games, and neither has Pavel Zacha, for that matter.
Along with that, Boston’s power play is elite, scoring at a fourth-best 25.9% clip, with someone like Pastrnak always being a threat with his wicked shot.
At one point, goaltender Jeremy Swayman was a main reason why the B’s started hot, but like their hot start, Swayman started to cool down.
However, since December 2, Swayman has played to a poor .880 SV%, as well as a -4.2 GSAx.
Rangers vs. Bruins Prediction
I’m not sure if I need to emphasize this, but the loss of Fox for the Rangers is incredibly substantial.
While on 5-on-5, the Rangers have been clobbered when Fox isn’t playing. As a matter of fact, the Rangers have never had a positive shot differential when he isn’t on the ice.
Not just that, when Fox was dealing with his shoulder injury earlier in the season, New York went 6-5-3, while getting outscored 39-34.
Those problems are magnified now with Shesterkin on the shelf as well.
I don’t think the Bruins are mountain movers, and Quick has proven that he can fill in for a decent amount of time. But with New York losing two critical parts of its roster, I have a very hard time justifying any sort of faith in the Blue Shirts.
Usually, New York has gotten most of its success on the road, but I foresee this road trip ending ugly.
When Boston wins, it usually wins big. In seven of their last eight wins, the B’s have won by a goal differential of two or more, which is why I’m very comfortable backing the puck line here.
As of 12:04 a.m. ET, there are no official prices for the puck line. But once it's available, I expect it will be favorable for us.
Pick: Bruins -1.5
