NHL Preview: New York Rangers vs. Florida Panthers

[Freddy Wills]

Last Sunday, the New York Rangers beat the New Jersey Devils effectively ending their 2013 season. Now the Rangers need to win their next game in South Florida against the Florida Panthers. The Rangers are straddling 8th place in the East a need to keep winning in order to secure a playoff spot. Meanwhile, the Panthers’ season is officially finished as they now look toward the upcoming NHL draft. They need to make sure their team stays healthy as well in order to fully prepare for next season.

New York Rangers

Rick Nash leads the team with 40 points and 19 goals, while Derek Stepan leads in assists. Captain Ryan Callahan is doing an excellent job leading the team and is playing with the energy of five as he runs around the ice hitting and scoring goals. The Rangers have a 24-17-4 record and have traditionally played well against the usually lackluster Panthers. Many believe that the Rangers will make the playoffs, but they need to win the easier games in order to make sure their spot is secure. Watch for the game to be led by Ryan Callahan and Rick Nash as they hope to get their score totals up. They will also be fighting to get Hendrick Lundqvist a shut out to help him improve his own numbers and keep up his confidence heading into the potential playoffs. The Rangers have an easy schedule next week, so they should be well rested and ready to play.

Florida Panthers

The 13-26-6 Panthers are currently in 5th place in the Southeast Division and will not be making the playoffs this season. The Panthers have lost their last two games in a row, and do not have a very good record against the Rangers in general. Many sites are giving the Rangers the odds, but never say never in the game of hockey. Tomas Fleischmann leads the team in assists and points with 31, so expect him to be a major play maker come Tuesday’s game. In their last game against the Rangers the Panthers were thumped 6-1. The Panthers have been trounced all season and they will be searching to end the season with a little bit of dignity and not be destroyed by the Rangers.

Many are giving this game to the Rangers and rightfully so. There is a lot on the line for the Rangers as they need to stay one step ahead of the just behind Winnipeg Jets. The Rangers need to focus on staying healthy and keeping goaltender Lundqvist energized as the last week of the regular season approaches. Check out the latest to know more odds and news going on in the NHL. This could be an easy game to make a couple of bucks on if you choose to bet on it.

here to more on this and other NHL games happening this week.