The two greatest words in all of sports, “Game 7”. Tonight the New York Rangers will visit the Carolina Hurricanes in a decisive game 7 matchup to determine who will move on to the Eastern Conference finals. The home team has won every matchup in this series and five of the six games have been won by two or more goals.
Carolina has had a trend of being stellar at home but brutal on the road all playoffs long. Carolina is -1.5 with +175 odds and the -150 moneyline favorite for game seven. Fans can tune into ESPN at 8:00 PM Eastern Time to watch this highly anticipated Eastern Conference playoff matchup.
New York Rangers Need to Steal one on the Road
In this series, the Rangers have given up seven goals on the road and only four at home. They are facing a team that is seemingly unbeatable at home. If the Rangers want to move on to the next round, they must find a way to steal a game on the road.
Their success begins and ends with their goaltender Igor Shesterkin. The Hart Trophy candidate has a 2.74 goals-against average with a .926 save percentage. He will be the main difference-maker for the Rangers in tonight’s game seven.
A major factor that fans can’t sleep on is forward Artemi Panarin. Panarin has 10 points so far in the playoffs and is continuing to make his impact felt with every passing game. Look for New York to try and get him involved early in their offensive attack.
Overall, the Rangers need to break this losing trend on the road and handle the Carolina style of play if they want to play in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Carolina Hurricanes Average on the road, Lockdown at Home
During the entire postseason thus far, the Carolina Hurricanes have played like two different teams at home and on the road. At home, they are one of the best teams in the NHL, on the road they have been playing average at best. Luckily for them, game seven is at home.
Carolina will be looking for their leadership group to step up in this big moment. Forward Sebastian Aho will be a main player for the Hurricanes and their success in game seven. He has seven points this postseason and would love to have more games to play after this one.
Their goaltender Antti Raanta has been a brick wall at home but seems like Swiss cheese on the road. His recent play on home ice can give Carolina the confidence they need to produce a win in game seven.
Pick and Prediction
All in all, this game seven will feature constant tension, physical battles, and an electric atmosphere. It is everything one could want in a game seven. Carolina has been unbeaten at home and all signs are pointing for that trend to continue.
Carolina creates a forecheck at home that makes then unbeatable against their opponents. They play with swagger and confidence that produces positive outcomes in their contests.
All in all, the trend for the Hurricanes will continue and they will defend home ice in game seven. The Carolina Hurricanes at -1.5 with +175 odds on the puck line is the pick to play in this Eastern Conference game seven.
