With the onset of the NHL preseason, the excitement levels are at their highest and everyone is bracing themselves for the game between the New York Rangers and the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Sunday. The Rangers finished last season with a record of 55-23-4, which made them end the season strongly, a performance level they would want to sustain for the new season. The Bruins hope to recover after a less-than-stellar performance last year when they had 47-20-15. This is an important game for those who are interested in NHL free picks today.
New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins 9/22/24 Game Info |
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| When: | Sunday, September 22, 2024 at 5:00 PM ET |
| Where: | TD Garden |
| TV: | NESN |
| Stream: | NHL.TV |
New York Rangers (55-23-4 Last Season) vs. Boston Bruins (47-20-15 Last Season)
The Rangers last season have been a powerhouse offensively, thanks in large part to Artemi Panarin, who dazzled last season with 49 goals and 71 assists. Alongside him, Vincent Trocheck and Chris Kreider have solidified a formidable offensive line that poses a significant threat to any defensive setup. This offensive might will test the Bruins, especially considering the Vegas Golden Knights benchmark of high-paced, aggressive play that teams aspire to. The Rangers’ ability to penetrate defenses with swift and strategic plays makes them a daunting opponent for the Bruins’ somewhat shaky defense from the previous games.
However, the Bruins also have their own superstar David Pastrnak who scored 110 last regular season and the amazing playmaker Brad Marchand last season. The depth in their offensive line will also offer a threat to the defense of the Rangers. The speed with which the Bruins place their transition and the way they use the chances available to them during the power play situations will be tremendous as they will be playing against a Rangers team that has been so far sound in defending towards the high pressure situation.
Goaltender Igor Shesterkin vs. Goaltender Jeremy Swayman
Igor Shesterkin, the main man for the Rangers, also did his share of the ranger work earning above the league average 0.913 goals against average after 1607 nutmegs last season. His skill set will be crucial since he will be up against a Bruins offense which is able to overwhelm their adversaries with a large number of shots. This pressure cooker environment is quite similar to the kinds of tough situations which Shesterkin faces, and it will help the Rangers as they look to compete in this matchup.
On the other hand, Jeremy Swayman will soak in the limelight for the Bruins, having performed decently with a save percentage of 0.916 in the last season. His plays will be important against the Rangers who score more often than high school girls play leads. It will be up to Swayman to cut the damage that Panarin and Kreider can inflict, but the main goal will be to use such zeal for offense to create chances for the Bruins when the Rangers decide to forecheck too aggressively.
NHL Odds/Point Spread: TBD, Total Odds: TBD
As the betting odds have yet to be set for this preseason game, it’s clear that both teams come into this matchup with solid credentials, making the odds likely to be tight. Bettors should keep a keen eye on updates as game day approaches, considering the strong offensive capabilities on both sides which could influence the over/under totals significantly.
New York Rangers Betting Trends
The Rangers have been impressive, winning four out of their last five matches though against the spread tells a different story. Their ability to cover the spread while on the road (22-18) indicates some sturdiness that could be beneficial in this away situation.
Boston Bruins Betting Trends
In as much as the Bruins are a strong team, they have proved to be vulnerable recently, going 1 and 4 in their last 5 games. The stats show that their road performances against the spread may not be impressive (20-21) which can be an opportunity for the Rangers. These facts should be taken into account when making conclusions about the potential of the Bruins.
New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins 9/22/24 Betting Picks
Given the caliber and depth of both teams, it is apparent that this game is going to be difficult for both teams. The Rangers scoring powerful offense clearly has competition with the well structured offensive blueline of the Bruins and hence there is a potential for high-octane hockey. Recent results and preason games suggest the Rangers have an upper hand as they can be more aggressive and take full advantage of their goalscoring chances.
For sportsbooks, perhaps the more conservative approach might be placing a straight line on the Rangers as they are in fine shape and the Bruins are not. On the other hand, Over/Under wagers will be largely based on this factor of goaltending so it will be a less encouraging bet. This game surely deserves placing in the category of premium matchup insights and full excitement of anticipation and efforts about strategy execution and tactics.