The 2024 NHL Eastern Conference between the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers gets underway on Wednesday, May 22nd. The puck will drop at 8pm EST from Madison Square Garden in New York, with ESPN carrying the broadcast nationally.
Oddsmakers are siding with the Panthers on the road, pricing the Cats as slight -115 road favorites over the Rangers at MSG. The over/under is listed at 5.5 for a duel between Igor Shesterkin and Sergei Bobrovsky.
Here is our Rangers vs Panthers Game 1 prediction, along with odds analysis and player prop picks.
Panthers vs Rangers Prediction
Florida is a heavy -150 favorite in the , but their reduced price for Game 1 indicates oddsmakers aren t overly confident they will take the first game. The Rangers are at home, after all, where they went 34-12 during the regular season.
We can t help but be intrigued by New York s home underdog price on Wednesday, especially considering how loud the building will be following the long layoff. The Panthers dropped Game 1 against Boston last round and are just 3-7 in Game 1 s since 2020.
ECF GAME DAY.
x New York Rangers (@NYRangers)
The Rangers, meanwhile, won both Game 1 s of this postseason and are 4-0 in their last four playoff series openers. Furthermore, Igor Shesterkin is dialed in right now with a league-leading .923 save percentage. Sergei Bobrovsky, meanwhile, has underwhelmed with a .903 SV% this postseason.
We don t argue that Florida should be favored, as the Cats took two of three regular-season meetings. They also have a 54.3 Corsi percentage compared to a 45.8 CF% for New York. However, the Rangers struck twice with the man advantage in the last two meetings and are 18-3 in playoff games in which they score a power-play goal (since 2020).
In the Panthers vs Rangers series opener, New York s moneyline offers the best value. Shesterkin s superb play gives the team upside in a building that is very difficult for opposing teams to win in.
NYR vs FLA Game 1 Pick:
Rangers ML (-105)
Panthers vs Rangers Odds
