Rask keen on extending New York’s misery
Having just dropped two straight games to Columbus and Pittsburgh, the Rangers aren’t exactly cruising as the regular season winds down. Can Boston keep them in the doldrums this evening?
Two of the Eastern Conference’s perennial heavyweights will drop the puck at 7 p.m. ET. Online sports book Bovada.lv gives the host Bruins odds of -165 to emerge victorious. The Blueshirts, on the other hand, enter TD Garden as +135 underdogs.
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While Alain Vigneault’s club shouldn’t fret about its hold on a playoff spot, February certainly could’ve gone more swimmingly. New York is 3-3-1 over the past two weeks. General manager Jeff Gorton tried to tweak things before Wednesday’s trade deadline, adding steady defenseman Brendan Smith from the Red Wings.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the B’s continue to climb up the standings. They’ve captured seven of eight under interim coach Bruce Cassidy, vanquishing top-tier foes like Montreal and San Jose along the way. Boston also boasts a 16-13-0 record at home.
Considering Tuukka Rask’s presence between the pipes, we expect the Bruins to keep rolling in several hours. The Finnish sensation’s on pace for 41 wins, which would shatter his career high of 36 in 2013-14. Henrik Lundqvist’s reputation precedes him, too, ensuring a low-scoring battle in Beantown.
THURSDAY NHL FREE PICK: RANGERS/BRUINS UNDER 5.5 GOALS