The New York Rangers (22-27-6) and Pittsburgh Penguins (27-14-11) meet in the NHL tonight. Puck drop is set for 3:30 p.m. EST at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa. The game will be broadcast live on ABC.
The Penguins are favored by -1.5 on the puck line, with the over/under set at 6.5 (-100o / -120u). The Penguins are a -200 favorite to win outright, while the Rangers are +165 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Rangers vs. Penguins predictions and NHL picks.
Rangers vs. Penguins Odds, Pick
| Rangers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -153 | 6.5 -100o / -120u | +165 |
| Penguins Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +125 | 6.5 -100o / -120u | -200 |
- Rangers vs. Penguins Spread: Penguins -1.5 (+125 ), Rangers +1.5 (-153)
- Rangers vs. Penguins Over/Under: 6.5 (-100o / -120u)
- Rangers vs. Penguins Moneyline: Rangers +165, Penguins -200
Rangers vs. Penguins Preview
New York Rangers
The word "retool” isn’t exactly what you want to hear from a front office as the trade deadline approaches, but that’s exactly where the Rangers find themselves.
By now, their struggles and current situation are well-worn topics, so I’ll briefly recap if anyone needs a refresher.
Artemi Panarin has likely played his last game as a Ranger, Vincent Trocheck is a hot name in trade circles, Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin have been sidelined with injuries since early this month, and Johnathan Quick has been statistically one of the league’s worst goalies in Shesterkin’s absence.
Quick is 1-6 with a .790 save percentage since stepping in and carries an abysmal -12.6 GSAx over his last 10 starts.
Adding insult to injury, Wednesday’s loss to the Islanders completed a four-game sweep, with the Rangers outscored 14–3 across those matchups. It marked the first sweep by their crosstown rivals since 2017–18 and the first time in franchise history the Rangers never held a lead against the Islanders all season.
Perhaps the only positive news is that Fox and Shesterkin were both spotted on the ice at practice this week, suggesting they could be nearing a return. It’d be a much-needed lift as the Rangers are 2-9 since both hit the IR.
It’s unclear who will get the start in net for this one. With Quick starting the last game, it could be Spencer Martin, who hasn’t fared much better, posting a -4.1 GSAx and 4.13 GAA over his last 10 games.
Pittsburgh Penguins
On the flip side, it’s hard to find a hotter team than the Pittsburgh Penguins right now. Winners of five straight, they’ve outscored opponents 25-10, and the underlying metrics are just as impressive recently.
Over their last 10 games, they rank third in both xGF% (56.34) and xG Differential (+7.61).
In addition, Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs have been excellent in net, with Silovs posting a .919 save percentage and 2.00 GAA over the past three weeks. Skinner’s strong run stretches further back, with a 9.6 GSAx over his last 10 outings.
Silovs started Wednesday against Chicago, so I would expect Skinner to get the nod Saturday.
The only area of concern is some murky injury news that emerged Friday, with Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang missing practice. Malkin returned from a month-long shoulder injury but may have re-aggravated it on Sunday. Letang, meanwhile, missed two games last week with an upper-body issue, making his status worth monitoring.
Rangers vs. Penguins Prediction
I chickened out of picking Montreal as a home ‘dog against Colorado Thursday, so I’m not swaying from my gut on this one.
These teams could not be on more opposite ends of the spectrum over the past few weeks, and unless Igor Shesterkin somehow suits up, I don’t see the Rangers finding a way to win.
The line movement is somewhat telling, with the moneyline opening at -135 and almost immediately moving to around -190.
The public is all over the Penguins, and as much as I like to be a contrarian, I have to agree.
I like Pittsburgh to win and I don’t expect it to go past regulation. The 3-way moneyline offers a slightly more appealing price.
Pick: Penguins 3-Way Moneyline (-125)
