After a disheartening 5-0 defeat against the Islanders, the Rangers managed to find their stride, scoring six goals against the struggling Predators on Monday night. A sense of unpredictability often surrounds the team, but they aim to shed that inconsistency as they face the Lightning on Wednesday, bringing with them an impressive 7-1-1 record on the road.

Analyzing the Rangers’ performance at home and away reveals a clear pattern. While their goal-scoring remains steady, their defense is notably strong, allowing just 1.88 goals per game. They’ve also excelled in stopping 93 percent of shots and maintaining an 85 percent penalty kill rate.

This solid defensive showing is largely due to contributions from players like Vladislav Gavrikov, Adam Fox, and Will Borgen, who have all played pivotal roles this season.

Additionally, the return of Vincent Trocheck, the team’s standout two-way forward, added a boost on Monday. His ability to block shots and force turnovers was evident, reinforcing the team’s defensive prowess.

Their most effective two-way forward, Vincent Trocheck, also returned to the lineup on Monday to block a shot and force a pair of turnovers. 

No team has a lower expected goals against per 60 minutes than the Rangers at 2.12 per MoneyPuck. 

Many ask for the moon from Igor Shesterkin, who is No. 20 of 73 qualifying goaltenders in MoneyPuck’s GSAx. There have been some hiccups over these last couple of weeks, but Shesterkin remains sound in high danger situations, stopping the 13th-best rate of them amongst all netminders at 88 percent.

Besides, Shesterkin has a scintillating resume against the Lightning: He is 7-3-1 with a 2.25 GAA and a .924 SV%. 

Betting on the NHL?

It’s always a duel between him and fellow countrymen and Vezina winner Andrei Vasilevskiy. Vasilevskiy has won five of his past six starts, relinquishing 2.00 goals and denying over 92 percent of shots faced in that stretch.

Although the Rangers offer some underdog value, it’s tough to back this now-and-then offense — especially given that the power play isn’t much more efficient on the road.

It’s scored at a 16 percent rate and I wouldn’t hold my breath against the Lightning’s No. 1 penalty kill. 

Place stock in the only empirical proficiency the Rangers have demonstrated against a club with a disciplined collapse-and-protect structure: defense.

THE PLAY: Under 6 (-115, BetMGM)

Why Trust New York Post Betting

Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.