Canucks vs. Rangers Odds
| Canucks Odds | +195 |
| Rangers Odds | -240 |
| Over/Under | 6.5 (-110/-110) |
| Time | 8 p.m. ET |
| TV | SN |
| Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Vancouver Canucks will skate under the eye of new head coach Rick Tocchet for the fifth time on Wednesday when they take on the New York Rangers.
Although Tocchet hasn't been in charge for long, Vancouver has displayed some newfound life thus far.
A matchup pitting Spencer Martin in goal against Igor Shesterkin at Madison Square Garden is always going to be a tough challenge to overcome. That's reflected in the odds, as Vancouver enters as a gigantic underdog at +200.
Vancouver Canucks
Throughout the first four games of Tocchet's tenure, the Canucks have played quite soundly, managing a 2-1-1 record with a 58.74% expected goals rate.
Vancouver went on a much longer upswing when Bruce Boudreau was initially brought in last season. If this improved play eventually looks to be somewhat of a dead cat bounce, that would not be surprising to anyone.
For the time being, though, Tocchet seems to be injecting some life into a club that clearly lost some edge in December and January as it accepted an inevitable playoff absence.
The fight shown in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Devils Tuesday night was impressive. Outside of the pummelling handed out by the Kraken on Jan. 25, elements of the Canucks' game have looked better.
As Boudreau, Travis Green, and likely any Canucks coach will find out, this team's current roster makeup features a number of key flaws that will be tough to work around despite boasting some elite offensive skill.
Martin has been one of those flaws, and he will start tonight in goal. He's played to a -18.6 GSAx and .875 save percentage in 27 appearances.
New York Rangers
New York put together a thrilling 5-4 overtime win last time out against the Calgary Flames in what was one of the more interesting matchups of the entire NHL season.
The win marked New York's sixth in the last 10 games, and over that span, the Rangers have played to a 51.89 xGF% and displayed some well-rounded play in most areas of the game.
Shesterkin should start in goal tonight, and he owns a +17.3 GSAx rating and .918 save percentage throughout 36 games.
Canucks vs. Rangers Pick
Since Jan. 23, 33.3% of all NHL games have gone past regulation (26-of-78). With betting prices generally well past +320 (23.8% implied probability), this market is an interesting one right now.
A 33.3% clip in a small sample likely won't hold. But I do believe that if we use a sound process of elimination for games that won't be close, betting ties can be profitable.
The main focus for the Canucks under Tocchet is always going to be minimizing mistakes and not letting the opposition take the game without earning it. It seems Tocchet is dragging a newfound sense of urgency out of his Canucks side, and I think they will provide a solid test for New York tonight.
If Vancouver plays like it did against New Jersey, this should be a somewhat close game — at least more so than the massive odds suggest.
Rather than bet either side specifically, I like a play on another regulation tie, which is offered as high as +370 on this game.
This looks like a good spot for both teams to keep it close, and I believe a game like this will reach overtime often enough to be profitable at that number.
Pick: Regulation Tie (3-Way Draw) +370 |
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