The New York Rangers have gotten a boost out of adding defensemen Ben Harpur to the roster. Since they called him up from Hartford (AHL), he has appeared in 18 games, and the Rangers are 11-4-3 in those games, permitting 2.33 goals per game over that stretch, good for third in the league during that time. The team has rewarded him with a two-year contract extension worth $1.57 million through the 2024-25 campaign. As we look to weekend NHL betting choices, let’s check out the Rangers’ showdown with the Vegas Golden Knights, along with an exciting matchup in the Pacific Northwest.
NHL News: Top Betting Picks for the Weekend
Vegas Golden Knights (+1.5) at N.Y. Rangers (O/U 6) (7:00 pm ET)
Vegas (29-17-3) continues to contend in the Pacific Division, with an offense that puts up 3.16 goals per night. William Karlsson, Jack Eichel and Chandler Stephenson have combined to score 37 goals and notch 73 assists for the two scoring lines, and the worker bees have also done their part, as Nicolas Roy, Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith have put up 42 goals and 43 assists combined. From the blue line, Alex Pietrangelo and Brayden McNabb have chipped in six goals and 39 assists combined. On defense, the Golden Knights permit 2.88 goals per night, and Logan Thompson has stood tall in net, logging a .912 save percentage and a 2.71 GAA.
The Rangers (26-14-8) are poised to make another deep postseason run, buzzing near the top of the Metropolitan Division and putting up 3.15 goals per night. Vincent Trocheck, Mika Zibanejad, and Artemi Panarin have combined for 47 goals and 84 assists, and Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil and Chris Kreider have scored 43 goals with 38 assists. Blueliners K’Andre Miller and Adam Fox have contributed 15 goals and 58 assists. On defense, the Rangers have permitted 2.63 goals per game on the season, allowing only nine goals over the last four games. Igor Shesterkin remains an elite netminder, with a 2.45 GAA and a .918 save percentage. Rangers to win and cover, take the over.
Calgary Flames (+1.5) at Seattle Kraken (O/U 6) (10:00 pm ET)
Calgary (23-17-9) saw a two-game winning streak come to a brutal end at home on Thursday, as they lost to the dreadful Chicago Blackhawks, 5-1. That followed an impressive 6-3 win over Tampa Bay and a 4-3 overtime win over Columbus. Against Seattle, Dan Vladar should appear between the pipes as Jakob Markstrom took the beating against Chicago on Thursday. Vladar has a 10-4-4 record on the season, with a 2.75 GAA and a .904 save percentage. He comes in with a personal four-game winning streak. Calgary permits 2.96 goals per game while scoring 3.13. They rank just 23rd on the power play, but their penalty kill (82.0%) ranks sixth overall.
Seattle (28-14-5) have been one of the pleasant surprises so far this season, and we saw a lot of their upside in a 6-1 tattooing of the Vancouver Canucks at home on Wednesday, as the Kraken bounced back from a 2-1 shootout loss to Colorado. Against the Canucks, the Kraken roared out to a 5-0 lead, holding the Canucks scoreless until the waning seconds of the second period. Martin Jones had a relative easy night, only needing to make 19 saves. He is now 23-6-3 on the season, with a 2.78 GAA and an .896 save percentage. With the night off on Thursday, Jones should be back in net on Friday night. The Kraken score 3.66 goals per game (fourth overall) while permitting 3.04. Their power play ranks 19th, but their penalty kill (71.5%) has been porous, ranking second-worst overall. Kraken to win, Flames to cover.
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