The Florida Panthers will take on the New York Rangers Sunday afternoon. Both teams rank at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, which was not the expectation. The Panthers are coming off a rough loss to the New York Islanders in which they led 2-0 early but lost by a score of 5-2. The defensive crumble have been a common theme this season for the Panthers, as they give up 3.31 goals per game. The Panthers’ struggles get even worse when away from Florida; they have lost 9 of their last 11 away games. Basically, the Panthers seem unmotivated to keep playing this season.
For the Rangers, they are coming off a huge 6-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. While they rank last in the Eastern Conference and have the worst home form, the most recent game showed some momentum. On the season, the Rangers are averaging 2.81 goals per game, but I think they find the back of the net today. Through the Panthers last 10 away games, they have allowed 41 total goals. The Rangers offense should be able to sneak goals past the lack-luster Panthers defense. I am taking the Rangers on the money line.
Panthers vs. Rangers Prediction: NY Rangers ML (-140) available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.