The New York Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy.
They have three more wins than any other team in the NHL this season.
The Blueshirts will have home-ice advantage throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs and they are the biggest favorites in Round 1, which begins Sunday at 3 p.m. against the Washington Capitals at MSG.
That is a profile that would lead you to be⛦lieve that the Rangers should be the betting favori𝓰te to lift the Cup.
Not so fast.
While odds will vary from sportsbook to sportsbook, there is no mainstream bookmaker th⛎at has the Rangers as a clear favorite.
FanDuel lists the Blueshirts third behind the Hurricanes and Panthers and DraftKings has them fifth behind those teams, plus the Ava෴lanche and Oil💟ers.
The margins are quite thin, but it still will leave some Rangers fans and casual punters perplexe♓d.
Why is the team that jღust had the best regular season not even the favorite to win its conference?
This is a debate handicap𝔍pers have ha🔴d since October.
The Rangers haven’t stopped winning at any point throughout th✤e 82-game season, but there are legitimate questions about whether their formula will translate into playoff success.
The first red 🔜flag everyone points out is that the Rangers𒁃 own a +1 goal difference at 5-on-5 this season.
The Blueshirts scored 166 goals, which is tied for 17th in the circuit,🤪 at 5-on-5 and they conceded 165, which is also 17th-best.
The underlying metrics suggest this is a fair account for how New York has played as its expected goal 🍷(xG) difference at 5-on-5 is approximately -6.6, according to Natural Stat Trick.
While most teams in the NHL would struggle to consistently get results with that kind of statistical profile, the Rangers ꦫhave established themselves as an outlier over a three-season sample.
The Blueshirts have an abundance of supre𒐪mely talented playmakers — led by 120-point scorer Artemi Panarin — so the chances they do crea🌼te are usually of high quality, and their goaltenders help cover up most of their defensive flaws.
And when the game isn’t at 5-on-5, ౠthe Rangers are perhaps the best team in the NHL.
The Blueshirts were one of two teams (along with Carolina) to finish top thre🍒e in both power-play and🌌 penalty-kill percentage.
The Rangers also were a terrific overtime team, going 12-4 after 60 minutes, but that will be a moot point since regular-season overtime rules are🎀 very different froꦓm the playoffs (3-on-3, then a shootout vs. 5-on-5 until a golden goal is scored).
Another problem may ar꧃ise if New York’s power play go꧙es cold or the officiating standard changes in the playoffs.
Historically, referees tend to be more lenient in the crucial moments in the pꦑostseason and overcompensate in order tℱo not let special teams decide a game.
Stanley Cup playoffs 2024 Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Hurricanes | +650 |
| Avalanche | +700 |
| Panthers | +700 |
| Oilers | +750 |
| Rangers | +800 |
| Stars | +850 |
That is not great news for the Rangers, who🐽 rely🌠 on their power play to be the difference-maker.
The other crucial part of this equation is the path that the Ran𝓀gers have ahead of them.
The Capitals are easily the weakest team in the postseason, but New York’s likeli🐼est opponent in Round 2 would be the Hurricane🔴s, who are the Stanley Cup favorite at most sportsbooks these days.
Carolina is an elite 5-on-5 team and, unlike in previous seasons, has a power play t🎃hat can match the Rangers.
Betting on the NHL?
- Check out the best NHL betting sites
- Read our expert guide on how to bet on the NHL
- Get the latest Stanley Cup Odds
Should the Canes and Rangers link up (barr🐻ing anything unforeseen, like injuries), it’s likely that Carolina would be the betting favorite to win the best-of-seven, despite not having home-ice advantage.
None of this is to say that the Rangers don’t de♐serve to be one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Nor does it mean they can’t 🌜win.
They have elite skill, one of the world’s best goaltenders and a c🍸ore group that has plenty of playoff experience. All of that makes them dangerous.
But in today’s NHL, where there are 10 teams with legitimate aspirations to win th🍒e Stanley Cup, just being dangerou🎶s won’t separate you from the pack.