Total Play As Golden Knights Battle Rangers

Golden Knights vs. New York Rangers, 7:00 ET

I wrote yesterday that I might be the worst hockey handicapper on the internet, and maybe that finally turned my luck around as I was able to get a win in the game. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't easy, and they didn't coast to victory or something, but a win is a win. Now I am looking to get two in a row in a Friday night matchup. Tonight, the Golden Knights take on the New York Rangers in a primetime, nationally televised matchup.

The Golden Knights hoisted the Stanley Cup trophy at the end of the last season, and they have mostly picked up where they left off last season. Las Vegas has a 28-14-6 record on the season, but they haven't been very good on the road this year. So far, they are just 10-9-4 on the road and are 1-1 on the road trip. Overall, they have played well and scored 3.17 goals per game on 31 shot attempts. This matches up very similarly to the Rangers. This game could come down to who wins the penalty minutes. For the year, the Golden Knights are scoring once every five Power Play opportunities, and killing opponents chances four out of five times. Both are respectable numbers and ones that should at least maintain the game against the Rangers. I assume that they will put Logan Thompson into the net tonight. He has been strong this season, allowing just 2.73 goals against per game which is in line with the team overall. He also has stopped about 90% of shots per game. He was in net for the Golden Knights' win over the Rangers just a few days ago and looks to replicate that success.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 06: Phil Kessel #8 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates with teammates on the bench after scoring a first-period goal against the Los Angeles Kings during their game at T-Mobile Arena on April 06, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Are the Rangers out for revenge? After losing just over a week ago, you'd think they want to try and capture a victory. This is a good opportunity for them as they are back on their home ice where they are 15-6-0 on the season. I've already mentioned the struggles the Golden Knights have on the road so this is a good opportunity for them to grab a win. The Rangers are currently in first place and having a nice campaign. They are struggling a bit lately, though as they've only won two games in their past five. They are coming back from a West Coast road trip though and that could be a difficult adjustment for the Rangers. Statistically, they are almost equal in every category to the Golden Knights. They are better offensively during Power Play opportunities though. They have almost a 30% success rate which is among the best in the league. They are also successful in the penalty kill situations, performing slightly better than their opponent tonight. Igor Shesterkin is taking the net tonight and looking to avenge the loss where he allowed four goals in just 25 shot attempts.

I think this will be a better defensive effort from the Rangers in this game. I also think it will be a more hard-fought game where both teams are going to limit the shot opportunities of the opponents. That didn't seem to matter for the Golden Knights in the first game as they scored four goals on the 25 shots (they had a fifth on an empty net). Tonight I think the game goes under the six goals that are listed. If you want to take the -155 for Rangers, that should hit as well, but I'll stick to the under.

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