The New York Rangers host the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of the NHL Eastern Conference finals on Thursday. ESPN has live coverage from Madison Square Garden starting at 8 p.m. ET.
The Rangers and Panthers are deadlocked 2-2 in the series after Florida's 3-2 OT win in Game 4 on Tuesday. The Panthers are bidding to return to the Stanley Cup Final after losing to the Golden Knights last year.
You can claim more than $5,000 in betting bonuses from top-rated sportsbooks for wagering on the 2024 NHL Playoffs. Why wait? Click the "Claim Promo" buttons now to get started!
Panthers vs. Rangers Game 5 odds at top sports betting apps
Check out live Panthers vs. Rangers Game 5 odds on the best sports betting apps and claim the best sports betting promos and bonuses:
The Panthers are a -140 betting favorite to win the series, with the Rangers priced as a +120 underdog at DraftKings.
More: Best NHL betting sites | 2024 Stanley Cup championship odds
Florida Panthers betting trends and analysis
Sam Reinhart played the role of hero with the OT game winner on Tuesday night. Reinhart's on a heater the last two games with three goals. He led Florida in goals (57) and points (94) in the regular season.
THE PANTHERS CALLED GAME ‼️
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 29, 2024
Sam Reinhart is the hero for the home team as he scores the @SUBWAYCanada OT winner in Game 4. pic.twitter.com/0kLuyFKtuV
Reinhart's goal came on the power play, and the Panthers have now cashed in on 25% of those chances in the playoffs with the man advantage.
Florida bounced back from two straight overtime losses to knot the series at two games apiece. Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe also tallied markers for the Panthers, who got 21 saves from Sergei Bobrovsky to secure the win.
The Panthers have been money on the road this postseason with a record of 5-2. Three of the first four games against the Rangers have finished UNDER the total. That's a credit to Bobrovsky and New York goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who are two the best net-minders in the game.
Florida continued its assault on Shesterkin with 40 shots on goal in Game 4. That's an impressive number, but it could have been even more had the Rangers not blocked 28 shots. If you're playing daily fantasy games during the NHL Playoffs, that's a notable statistic that factors into a player's overall score for the game.
New York Rangers betting trends and analysis
Vincent Trocheck opened the scoring in Game 4 and continued his torrid points pace in the playoffs. He leads New York in goals, assists and points.
- C Vincent Trocheck (8 goals, 11 assists, 19 points)
- LW Artemi Panarin (4 goals, 10 assists, 14 points)
- C Mika Zibanejad (3 goals, 11 assists, 14 points)
- LW Alexis Lafrenière (7 goals, 6 assists, 13 points)
- C Chris Kreider (7 goals, 3 assists, 10 points)
Zibanejad had a team-high six shots for the Rangers, who only totaled 23 shots on goal in Game 4. Zibanejad and fellow center Chris Kreider have notably failed to record a point in this series. That lack of production is being offset by Trocheck and Alexis Lafrenière, who has showed out in this series with three goals.
New York needs to do a better job of possessing the puck in Game 5. Florida's forecheck has created a huge imbalance in that metric in the past two games. The Rangers have allowed 77 shots on goal during that span. Aside from New York's 3-0 win in the first game, all of the games have been tight due to Shesterkin's brilliance in net.
Defensively, the Rangers were solid in front of Shesterkin by blocking an eye-popping 80 shots in Games 3 and 4. New York scored its first power play goal of the series, too, when Trocheck opened the scoring in Game 4. The Rangers are now 1-for-11 with the man advantage against the Panthers.
They'll need continued improvement against a Florida team that's killed off 28 of 30 power plays in its last 11 playoff games.
Panthers vs. Rangers Game 5 prediction
The Rangers are leaning too heavily on Shesterkin in this series. Florida has also frustrated New York on the power play, which the Rangers used to dominate early in the postseason. It's tempting to back the Rangers as a home dog at MSG, but the Panthers have been road warriors during these playoffs.
Game 5 pick: Florida on the moneyline
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Learn more >