The New York Rangers look to finish off the series against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 6 of their NHL playoff matchup on Thursday, May 16 at 7:00 PM ET at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes are slight favorites to win, as their moneyline currently sits at -165.
The Rangers are not quite yet in panic mode, but this has to stop soon if they want to keep their sanity. They initially cruised ahead with a 3-0 series lead and seemed well-positioned to move onto the next round.
Since then, the Rangers have suffered two consecutive losses, which does not bode well for boosting their confidence. In their most recent game against the Hurricanes, they secured just one goal from Jacob Trouba.
Looking at the past two games, the Rangers have given up a total of eight goals, which is concerning, to say the least. The Rangers' offense ranked sixth in the regular season, while their defense ranked 24th overall in the league. They also went 25-12-4 on the road during the regular season.
So far this postseason, Mike Zibanejad has completed three goals and contributed 10 assists. In addition, Vincent Trochek has put together five goals and added seven assists.
After trailing 3-0, the Hurricanes have claimed victory in two consecutive games and are on the verge of making this an uncomfortable situation for the Rangers. Their offense has exploded in the last two games, and they will need to keep that intensity up.
Martin Necas added a goal and an assist, while Frederik Anderson made 20 saves out of 21 shots on goal. This type of outcome is a result of their ability to find success in adversity.
The Hurricanes' offense ranked seventh and their defense fourth during the regular season. They were 27-12-4 during the regular season at home and had a tough matchup in this pivotal game. This shows they are capable of winning this matchup if they can keep the Rangers' offense to a minimum.
Sebastian Aho has been one player to watch for the Hurricanes this postseason, as he has compiled three goals and seven assists. If they hope to succeed, they must take more action.
MyBookie provides NHL betting odds for Game 6 of this series, with the Carolina Hurricanes as home favorites. The Rangers need to put their foot down and finish out this series while they can.
After winning the first three and stumbling in the last two, look for the Rangers to finally close it out. They will need to find offense early, which should not be as big of a deal in comparison to holding back the Hurricanes.
