The New York Rangers (33-16-9) play the final match of a 2-game road trip against the Washington Capitals (28-26-6) Saturday at Capital One Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 1 p.m. (ABC/ESPN+). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Rangers vs. Capitals odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Rangers added Vladimir Tarasenko from the St. Louis Blues in a trade earlier in the month for added offense, but New York is still struggling to score goals. It has just 4 total scores in the past 3 games, going 0-2-1 during the skid with 3 straight Under results.
The Capitals welcomed back superstar Alex Ovechkin to the lineup, as he had been away for a few games to mourn the death of his father in Russia. He was scoreless with a minus-2 against Anaheim Thursday in a 4-2 loss as the Caps kept skidding.
Washington has dropped 6 straight games, averaging just 1.7 goals per game (GPG) during the span. The Caps are getting healthier, and/or getting players back on the ice after personal reasons away, but it isn’t resulting in wins. The Caps are on the outside of the wild-card picture in the Eastern Conference.