Devils vs. Rangers Line – Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals
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Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: New York -135 & 4.5 over -125
The Devils look to even up the series with the Rangers before heading back to Jersey in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.
The Rangers turned in a dominant performance in Game 1, blanking the Devils 3-0. This game was much closer than the score indicated though, as New Jersey had some terrific scoring chances that it just couldn’t cash in on. Certainly, with a week off, the Devils looked a bit rusty at times, but the Rangers are now 3-0 in Game 1s in this postseason. Conversely, the Rangers are 0-2 in Game 2s. Expect the Devils to simplify their game and work harder to create traffic in front of Henrik Lundqvist on Wednesday. Eventually, the aggressive New Jersey forecheck will force the Rangers’ d-men into some costly turnovers.
After both teams battled through the first two periods scoreless, New York defenseman Dan Girardi found the back of the net just 53 seconds into the third. Rookie Chris Kreider, who set up Girardi’s goal on a beautiful pass from the circle, added an insurance marker later in the frame and Artem Anisimov poked home the empty netter to seal the victory for the Blueshirts. It was a vintage performance for the Rangers, who were once again led by the sensational goaltending of Henrik Lundqvist (21 saves). New York won the only way it knows how—using a strong commitment to physical play and clogging all of the opposition’s shooting lanes. The Rangers out-hit the Devils 35-21 and out-blocked them 26-15.
The Devils looked overwhelmed by the Rangers collapsing defense, allowing New York's forwards to outmuscle them along the boards. New Jersey must do a better job of winning the 50-50 puck battles to maintain possession and generate better zone time on offense. The Devs might have been shut out in Game 1, but their big guns still generated some scoring chances -- wingers Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk lead the team with five and three shots on goal, respectively.
The Rangers got precisely what they needed offensively in Game 1: depth scoring. Top line center Brad Richards was held without a goal for the first time in four home games, and linemate Marian Gaborik was held scoreless after registering at least one point in six of the seven games last round. The fact New York was able to win without these two showing up in the box score is extremely good news for Rangers fans, and if the Blueshirts continue to get production from their other forwards, it could shorten the series significantly.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
