The Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers get together for Game 2 of their 1st-round Eastern Conference playoff series Thursday at Madison Square Garden in New York. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (TNT). Below, we look at the Penguins vs. Rangers odds and lines, and make our expert NHL picks, predictions and bets.
The Penguins outlasted the Rangers 4-3 in triple-overtime in an odyssey of a series opener. Pittsburgh was forced to start backup G Casey DeSmith due to a foot injury to G Tristan Jarry. DeSmith did a good job, getting the team to double-overtime, but then exited with a lower-body injury.
G Louis Domingue came on cold and helped the Pens to victory when C Evgeni Malkin beat G Igor Shesterkin for the win. The latter made 79 saves and certainly deserved a much better fate.
Penguins at Rangers odds and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:46 a.m. ET.
Money line: Penguins +130 (bet $100 to win $130) | Rangers -160 (bet $160 to win $100) Against the spread (ATS): Penguins +1.5 (-210) | Rangers -1.5 (+160) Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: -120 | U: -105)Penguins at Rangers projected goalies
Louis Domingue (1-1-0, 2.02 GAA, .952 SV%, 0 SO – regular season) vs. Igor Shesterkin (36-13-4, 2.07 GAA, .935 SV%, 6 SO – regular season)
Domingue was thrust into action in Game 1, coming on in the second overtime. He was rock-solid for the Pens as he turned aside all 17 shots he faced and earned the victory in relief.
Shesterkin was unreal in the opener. He faced 83 total shots and made 79 saves, good for a .952 SV%. He certainly deserved better after making the second-most saves in NHL history. Only Columbus Blue Jackets G Joonas Korpisalo, who had 85 saves in a first-round loss to Tampa Bay in 2020, has made more.
Penguins at Rangers picks and predictions
Prediction
Rangers 4, Penguins 1
Money line
The RANGERS (-160) are going to bounce back. There is just too much uncertainty for the Penguins in the backstop department regardless of whether DeSmith or Domingue is between the pipes. The team just recalled G Alex D’Orio from its AHL affiliate, and he has never appeared in an NHL game. They’re just one injury away from a disaster.
Against the spread
The RANGERS -1.5 (+160) are a decent small-unit play as they look to rebound in Game 2. Shesterkin was unreal, and he should bounce back for the much-deserved win.
Over/Under
UNDER 5.5 (-105) is the lean here, although go lightly due to Pittsburgh’s uncertain goaltending situation.
Still, despite the third- and fourth-string goalies being up for the Pens, we should see plenty of tired legs with scoring chances at a premium after the marathon series opener.
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