Golden Knights vs. Rangers Odds, Picks: Bet New York as Underdogs

Golden Knights vs. Rangers Odds

The Rangers and Golden Knights will meet for the first time this season on Friday night at Madison Square Garden. The Golden Knights are playing the second half of a back-to-back, while the Rangers are kicking off a three-game home stand.

Vegas had a close call last night after almost surrendering a three goal lead in the third period against the Devils. Luckily, the Devils comeback came up just a little short, as the Golden Knights added a late empty netter to secure the 5-3 win.

The Golden Knights are riding a three-game win streak coming into the World's Most Famous Arena.

The Golden Knights Have Found Their Stride

It's scary to think that the Golden Knights are going to add Jack Eichel to their lineup at some point this season. This roster is already very dangerous and rolling right now, with 15 goals scored over its last three games.

The Golden Knights are generating a ton of high-danger scoring chances, currently averaging 12.14 per 60 minutes, which is good enough for sixth in the NHL. Vegas also ranks fourth overall with 2.7 expected goals for per 60 minutes.

The Knights do play a bit of a high-risk, high-reward style, however, as they rank fourth-last in both high-danger chances and expected goals allowed at 5-on-5. Despite that, they are above the break-even point with a 50.66% expected goals rate.

Vegas has had the reputation of being a streaky offensive team, and right now the Knights are trending up thanks to Max Pacioretty, who has 12 goals in his first 12 games this season, while also tallying seven assists.

It's not confirmed who will start for the Knights, but Robin Lehner played on Thursday, so don't be surprised if Laurent Brossoit gets the nod. Brossoit has been a solid deputy to Lehner, posting a +1.5 Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx) and a .917 save percentage in nine games.

Panarin's Loss Looms Large for Rangers 

The Rangers have a ton of skill up front, but they will be without their best offensive player, Artemi Panarin, who is out with a lower-body injury. Panarin is a key member of the Rangers No. 1 power-play unit that has been firing on all cylinders lately.

The Rangers PP ranks sixth amongst other teams in the league, converting at a 25% rate. Not having Panarin for the power-play will be a massive loss for the Rangers, but they still have guys like Chris Kreider (10 PPG, 3 PPA) and Adam Fox (13 PPA) who both have the same amount of points as Panarin does on the man advantage (13).

While the power play has been rolling, the Rangers have not generated enough offense at 5-on-5. New York ranks 26th in expected goals for per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 and its 10.67 high-danger chances per 60 ranks 19th. The Rangers have enough talent to make good on their chances, so they don't need to throw a lot of rubber at the net to get on the board, but an uptick in chance creation will be needed if this team wants to be counted among the contenders.

The best news for the Rangers is that they might have their star goaltender back in the blue paint. Before getting injured, Igor Shesterkin was arguably the best goalie in the league. Shesterkin posted a 13-3-2 record so far this season and has a very impressive +14.9 GSAx, while skating to a .937 SV%.

If Shesterkin is not in the blue paint, the Rangers have a bit of a dilemma. Keith Kinkaid is a No. 3 goalie at this point in his career and Alexandar Georgiev has struggled to a -6.1 Goals Saved Above Expected on the year.

Rangers vs. Golden Knights Pick

Both of these teams deserve to be counted among the best teams in the NHL at the moment. The Rangers are currently atop the Metropolitan division standings with a 19-7-3 record and an impressive 8-3-1 record on home ice, while the Knights have stormed up the table of late.

However, I think this is a good spot for the Rangers as the Knights are on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights. Gerard Gallant is usually quite coy about naming a starting goalie, so we may have to wait a while for confirmation but if Igor Shesterkin is in net, I like the price on the Rangers.

Pick: New York Rangers +105 or better