The Rangers travel to Seattle and will look to add to their modest two-game winning streak while the Kraken are hoping to do the same after victories over the Canadiens and Wild.
Let’s analyze the NHL odds for this matchup and keep cashing our picks!
Sunday, October 31, 2021 – 09:00 PM EDT at Climate Pledge Arena
The Rangers struggled out of the gate by dropping their first two games of the season but since that time they have gotten back on track by winning five of their last six contests. The most recent of which was a 4-0 shutout of the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night.
It was only the third home game of the season but it was the Ranger’s first win in front of their home crowd. Four nights earlier they had gotten thoroughly dominated in a 5-1 loss to the Flames but this time around came a markedly superior effort and, not surprisingly, a far better result. Veteran winger, Chris Kreider tallied a pair of power-play goals while netminder, Igor Shesterkin, was razor-sharp in turning aside 31 shots for his third career shutout and first of the young season.
“We managed the puck real well," Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. "I didn’t think we turned it over near as much as we did in the prior game. Our forecheck was a lot better. I thought we had 20 guys ready to play tonight. That was the big thing. ... Tonight’s game was the most complete we played.”
Not much is ever expected of an expansion franchise, regardless of the sport, but the Vegas Golden Knights broke that mold a few years ago, and the Seattle Kraken are hoping to do the same. After stumbling to a 1-5 record, the Kraken have won their last two contests via a 5-1 victory over the woeful Canadiens, and on Thursday hung a 4-1 loss on a talented Minnesota Wild squad.
In that game, the Kraken’s most complete effort of the season, Seattle fell behind early but made sure that Minnesota’s first goal of the game would be their last. A pair of goals by a defenseman, Haydn Fleury, and a stellar effort by the newly acquired goaltender, Philipp Grubauer, who stopped 30 of 31 shots, was the difference.
“They just got going,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. “Again, that’s good veteran leadership that has a realization of what’s happening at that point in the game and knows what needs to happen.”
The NHL odds at many of the top sportsbooks are dealing this one as a pick’em, although a few are ever so slightly favoring the Rangers. I think the line is right based on what we’ve seen from both clubs but I am more inclined to side with the Rangers for a couple of reasons.
First, they have won four of five on the road this season so playing in hostile territory does not intimidate them in the least. Second, their goaltender, 25-year-old Russian sensation Igor Shesterkin, is one of the best and most unheralded goaltenders in the world. If the game is a coin flip, Shesterkin can tip the scales in favor of the Rangers.
However, in this matchup, we have another outstanding goalie in Philipp Grubauer, which means it’s pretty much a wash between the pipes. However, I will give the nod to the Rangers defense over Seattle’s which checks another box for New York.
The Kraken hold only two advantages in this game, the venue and their penalty-killing unit, extinguishing man-advantage situations at an 88.9 percent clip, good for fifth in the league. But that’s not enough to deter me. Grab the Rangers at a great price for your NHL pick and watch them go to 5-1 on the highway this season.
NHL Pick: Rangers ML (-105) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.