New York Eyes 3-1 Advantage After Second Straight OT Win
Bet Florida Per the Rangers vs Panthers Game 4 Puck Line
The New York Rangers can take a commanding advantage in the Eastern Conference Final with a third straight win over the Florida Panthers in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Amerant Bank Arena. The Rangers vs Panthers Game 4 puck line could be a key bet here, especially if New York continues to have the edge.
New York leads the series 2-1 after their 5-4 overtime win in Game 3. Alex Wennberg’s goal at 5:35 of the extra session, and Alexis Lafreniere and Barclay Goodrow each scored twice, helping New York claim its second straight OT win.
Sam Reinhart scored twice for Florida, Aleksander Barkov had one goal and one assist and Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe each had two assists. But Sergei Bobrovsky made just 18 saves, and Florida trails for the first time in its three postseason series.
The Rangers either send the Panthers to the brink of elimination, or Florida knots the best-of-seven series.
Here are some factors for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final and a potential Rangers vs Panthers puck line wager to consider.
Rangers vs Panthers 
Records: New York Rangers (65-26-4), Florida Panthers (61-27-8)
Day/Time:
Location: Amerant Bank Arena
Streaming: ESPN, ESPN+
Florida Favored
The Rangers may have the shortest odds to win the Stanley Cup but are an even greater underdog in Game 4 than they were in any of the previous three games.
Florida is a -170 moneyline favorite according to DraftKings Sportsbook, with a 63% implied probability of sending the series back to New York even for Game 5. Still, the Rangers were the underdog in Game 3 and fell behind 1-0 early, yet roared back to build a 4-2 lead in the third period.
Igor Shesterkin again dominated, making 33 saves despite his four goals against, to boost his Eastern Conference Final save percentage to .923.
Expert Pick: Subscribe below to get our Premium Insights!
Expert Pick: Subscribe below to get our Premium Insights!The Panthers were favored to win the series from the outset yet have fallen victim to New York’s ongoing OT magic. The Rangers are 4-0 in overtime in the playoffs and have won four of their past six games in extra time, with four different game-winning goal scorers.
Wennberg, who some Rangers fans were calling to scratch ahead of Game 2, redirected Ryan Lindgren’s wrist shot past Bobrovsky for his first goal of the postseason.
Yet, Wennberg was only put in the position to become an unlikely hero after Goodrow continued his unexpected heroics. The fourth-line center scored his fifth and sixth goals of the playoffs. This included a short-handed goal that gave the Rangers a 4-2 lead late in the second period.
Goodrow has three goals in the past two games. He is tied with Lafreniere for third-most playoff goals for the Rangers. In all, 14 different Rangers players have at least one playoff goal.
Goaltending Favors the Rangers
The NHL betting lines may favor the Panthers, but the goaltending advantage has been squarely with New York, especially since Game 1.
Bobrovsky dominated in Game 1 but has been just OK since. He has allowed seven goals on 53 shots. He has a minus-2.60 goals-saved above average over the past two games and stopped just 18 of 23 shots against in Game 3.
The Panthers have outscored the Rangers 8-7 in the series, which means they have found a way to beat Shesterkin. It isn’t as if Shesterkin has stolen games — since he has a minus-0.14 goals-saved above average in the series — but he has kept his team in each game despite Florida’s 91-77 shots advantage in the series.
History suggests Shesterkin will wear down since New York is being outshot by an average of 32-26 in the playoffs. Giving up four goals on 37 shots, which Shesterkin did in Game 3, is a sign of that too.
Still, if Bobrovsky continues to struggle — something he didn’t do last year in the Eastern Conference Final against the Hurricanes — the Rangers are so opportunistic that they’ll keep making Florida pay.
A Return to Playoff Hockey
Game 3 was wild from the outset with nine goals. Four were scored in the first period with loads of open ice and by far the most goals of any conference final game in either conference.
Each of Lafreniere’s goals was one for the highlight reels. His second tally, where he toe-dragged around Florida defenseman Dmitry Kulikov before stashing the puck past Bobrovsky, was arguably the goal of the postseason.
The open ice favors the Rangers, since the Panthers are one of the tightest defensive teams in the league. Florida was third in the NHL in shots-against per game during the regular season. Hence, it finished tied for fourth-most points in the NHL standings. It is giving up the second-fewest shots per game (24.4) in the postseason.
You can bet Florida coach Paul Maurice will be pushing his team to get back to basics defensively in Game 4. A low-scoring game with only a few scoring chances — akin to Game 2 — seems likely.
The -125 odds on under 5.5 are even more enticing than the -130 odds were for Game 3.
Prediction
This has all the makings of a long series, and a Rangers win would ruin that potential. The Panthers will want to stay out of overtime, so if you’re betting on Game 4, a Panthers puck line wager against the Rangers is enticing.
Panthers 4, Rangers 1
For NHL betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
