Tuesday marks the first busy day of NHL hockey in 2024. We start the new year with one of the most exciting games on the slate, Rags versus Canes.
Rangers enter 2024 first in the East
The Rangers finished the year with a convincing away win in Tampa Bay by a score of 5 to 1. The record of 25-9-1 is good enough for first place in the conference. Like other top teams in the East, the Rangers have excelled defensively. Allowing just 2.69 goals on average is a recipe for success when you can also pack some serious firepower up front.
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Leading the way once again is Artemi Panarin who picked up his fiftieth point of the season with a hat trick in Tampa Bay. Top six is what this team is all about with Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko still sidelined with injuries. Luckily for the Rags, that core group will deliver on most nights even if the team isn’t exactly dominating the action. The Rangers have a modest 50.50 xGF% in all situations, good for 17th in the league.
Which goalie will step up for the Canes?
The Hurricanes enter 2024 with 20-13-4, a solid record for most teams. In Carolina, however, this pace is not up to expectations. This is a team enjoying its prime. A team that should not only make the playoffs but also be a major force in the run for the Stanley Cup.
It’s easy to point out the biggest problem of the season so far. Goaltending has been a real issue in Raleigh, enough so that Antti Raanta was placed on waivers in December. Raanta returned to action after the Christmas break and got a win for his team against the Canadiens. Pyotr Kochetkov followed suit with another win in Toronto. Kochetkov is the guy the Canes are betting on, but Raanta will also see some action with Frederik Andersen still on IR.
Despite sub-par goaltending, Carolina is doing well due to solid team performance. Known for their xG supremacy, the Canes are once again one of the best with 55.06 xGF% in all situations. As for individuals, Andrei Svechnikov has found his scoring touch after returning from injury. He has 21 points in 22 games, a pace that’s second-best on the team after Sebastian Aho’s 42 points in 34 games.
Almost like flipping a coin
This match is one of Tuesday’s absolute highlights. Both teams are serious Cup contenders, so we should see some exciting NHL action. There’s no question that the Rangers have a goalie advantage along with more firepower up front. Five-on-five it should be Carolina’s game for the most part.
Overall, it’s close between these two. Playing in Manhattan, I’m willing to give the Rangers a razor thin edge over the Hurricanes. Unibet has Carolina as +107 underdogs. That’s just high enough for our first bet of the year but let’s stay on the low end of our sizing range.
Tip: Carolina Hurricanes Moneyline @ +107
Units: 1/10
The match will start on 1/2/2024 at 7:00 PM EST.
The odds are from the time of publication of the article and are subject to change.
Esa Kostet
X: @konekostet
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