The NHL First Round Playoffs continue tonight when the New York Rangers take on the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first game of their opening-round matchup. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised live on NBC Sports Network. Currently the betting odds for the game have the Rangers favored by a comfortable margin.
The Rangers finished with the President's Trophy this season, piling up 113 points for the campaign. They'll take on a Pittsburgh team which found a way to take eighth in the Eastern Conference, a place they certainly aren't accustomed to being. That alone makes this an interesting matchup for the first round of the playoffs. Pittsburgh and New York should be considered rivals, and this heated series will see the winner play the winner of the Washington Capital/New York Islander series.
Last year the Rangers knocked out the Penguins in the second round, rallying from down 3-1 in the series. The Rangers eventually made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, where the NHL was certainly pleased that the faced off against the Los Angeles Kings, who won their second Cup in three seasons but needed three overtime victories to do so.
New York's 2014-15 season has been a franchise-setting one, finishing with the most victories in team history with 53 and the most points at 113. They can continue that special season by picking up a win here over the Penguins in the first game of the post season.
There's a ton of star-power on the ice for this one, and the Rangers could be in some danger of losing tonight. New York was actually better on the road this year but three games, and the Penguins were at least decent away from home. But look for the Rangers to win tonight in a solid game.
Free Pick: Rangers
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