The Washington Capitals (17-9-5) take on the New York Rangers (23-8-1) Wednesday at Madison Square Garden. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Capitals'vs. Rangers odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Caps went into the holiday break with a 2-1 shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. It snapped a 3-game winning streak. After a rough start, the Capitals have climbed back to 4th in the division and hold 1 of the Wild Card spots in the East. They’re doing it with LW Alex Ovechkin mired in a season-long slumber with just 6 goals in 31 games. They’re holding strong with defense and goaltending, ranking 6th in the league with 2.68 goals allowed per game.
The Rangers won 4 of 5 heading into the break with a 4-3 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres Saturday. They are doing it via the power play as their unit leads the NHL converting 31.1% of the time. LW Artemi Panarin is tied for 5th in the league with 44 points (18 goals, 26 assists). The Rangers were shut out in Washington 4-0 Dec. 9.
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