The New York Rangers let a Game 1 victory slip away by coming out flat in the third period. The Carolina Hurricanes didn’t have much going for them early on in the game, but they stayed resilient and were able to find a way to win. Now New York must avoid falling down 2-0 in the series.
See who has the edge in our free NHL betting picks and predictions for Rangers vs. Hurricanes on Friday, May 20.
Rangers vs Hurricanes Game 2 odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Rangers opened up as +140 road underdogs and the line has moved slightly to +150. The total opened at 5.5 and hasn’t had any movement at the time of writing.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until puck drop and be sure to check out the full NHL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Rangers vs Hurricanes Game 2 predictions
Predictions made on 5/20/2022 at 1:47 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Rangers vs Hurricanes Game 2 info
• Location: PNC Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina
• Date: Friday, May 20, 2022
• Puck drop: 8:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN, Sportsnet
Rangers vs Hurricanes series odds
Rangers: +280
Hurricanes: -360
Rangers vs Hurricanes Game 2 betting preview
Key injuries
Rangers: Ryan Lindgren D (Probable), Barclay Goodrow F (Out), Sammy Blais F (Out).
Hurricanes: Jordan Martinook F (Questionable), Frederik Andersen G (Out).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Rangers vs Hurricanes head-to-head record in the series
Rangers: 0-1, 1 goal for.
Hurricanes: 1-0, 2 goals for.
Betting trend to know
The road team is 4-1 in the last five meetings between these two teams. Find more NHL betting trends for Rangers vs. Hurricanes.
Rangers vs Hurricanes Game 2 picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Moneyline analysis
The New York Rangers had a very strong showing in Game 1 and were the better team for 40 minutes of the contest. That was a game they easily could have and in fact, should have won, but they let it slip away in the final minutes of regulation. This will be a learning experience for them.
The Carolina Hurricanes did not look like the team that we saw all season in the first two periods of Game 1. The Rangers did a great job at keeping them to the perimeter and they will have the exact same strategy going into tonight.
That being said, you can expect the Hurricanes to bring a much better effort than what we saw in Game 1. It’s not that they weren’t playing hard, they just weren’t executing.
One of the biggest strengths of the Rangers is their power play and we didn’t see them get many opportunities in the last game, but if they are able to get a man advantage and convert that would give them the spark that they need offensively.
Igor Shesterkin looked back to his normal self, stopping 24 of 26 shots for a .923 SV%
Antti Raanta played a phenomenal game as well for the Canes, stopping 27 of 28 shots for a .964 SV%.
I think Shesterkin outplays Raanta in this one and the Rangers steal it.
Prediction: Rangers ML (+150 at DraftKings)
Over/Under analysis
I said before Game 1 that the x-factor in this series will be Hurricanes' goaltender Antti Raanta and he looked like a typical starter with that performance. Carolina allowed 24 scoring chances against and the Rangers had 2.72 expected goals, but Raanta was there when his team needed him most. I expect a similar effort from him and the Canes' blue line tonight.
Despite losing, Igor Shesterkin stood on his head in Game 1, especially in the third period. The Hurricanes generated 27 chances for and had 3.96 expected goals, but Igor was in fact Igor. After having a couple of rough performances in the first round, it appears that Shesterkin has gotten back to his game.
The Rangers know they have to tighten it up defensively, which they are completely capable of doing since they showed it in the first 40 minutes. Carolina has been consistent defensively all year long.
I like this game to stay under.
Prediction: Under 5.5 (-115 at DraftKings)
Best bet
The Rangers arguably had their best game of the playoffs in Game 2 of the Penguins series after falling short in Game 1 in overtime. They find themselves in a very similar situation except for this time they are on the road.
Carolina is a very good team, but the Rangers showed it is in fact beatable. New York took the Hurricanes' game and brought it to them for two full periods and it is more than capable of doing that again tonight. I think the visitors pull off the road upset and go home tied.
Pick: Rangers ML (+150 at DraftKings)
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