The New York Rangers aren't under much pressure.
The Blueshirts are first in the Metropolitan Division with 54 points and second in the NHL with a .711 scoring percentage.
You always have to add the caveat that anything can happen over the next 43 games and hockey is a wild sport, but it would be a pretty big surprise if the Rangers didn't finish at the top of the Metro. It will be.
That being said, the Rangers have been quietly starting to slip up a bit lately and will have their hands full on Monday night against the Pacific Division-leading Vancouver Canucks.
Vancouver is a +120 underdog at Madison Square Garden.
Rangers vs. canucks prediction
This is a really interesting matchup on paper.
The Canucks and Rangers both boast impressive records thus far, but some wonder if these teams have already reached their peak.
Neither team has elite 5-on-5 players, but that doesn't seem to matter as they both have great power plays and elite goaltending.
If you can use skill, goaltending, and special teams to win by a close margin, you don't have to always tilt the ice in the right direction to get results. We've seen this approach work for the Rangers for multiple seasons, and now the Canucks have created a similar winning formula.
The difference right now is that Vancouver's 5-on-5 numbers seem to be trending in the right direction, while the Blueshirts' numbers are declining.
Over the past 10 games, the Canucks have shot a 52.9% expected goals percentage and a 54% high-danger scoring chance percentage, both improvements over their season numbers, which means they're already in first place. Now that you think about it, the Canucks are even more of a threat. -10 power play and Vezina level goalie.
Would you bet on the NHL?
There's very little separating these two teams at this point.
They both have tremendous skill at the top of the lineup, have great goaltending, and have been active throughout the first half of the season.
But the Canucks have been performing better at 5-on-5, and the Rangers have been trading wins and losses lately, so I'm going to favor the underdog at MSG on Monday night.
Bet: Canucks (+120, DraftKings)
