The New York Rangers (58-25-2-5) have played eight playoff games in this postseason, and all eight have been decided by exactly one goal.
That streak could very easily stay alive in the ninth game of their postseason when they take on the Washington Capitals (51-29-8-4) in Game 4 of the Metropolitan Division Finals.
ODDS ANALYSIS
Washington continues to gain steam in this series on the betting odds. They went from +138 to +154 in the two games on the road, but they were -117 in Game 3 and have opened at -120 in Game 4. The Capitals are now favored to win this series by a comfortable margin for the first time, though it should be noted that there isn't that much separating these two teams.
GOALIE REPORT
What more can Henrik Lundqvist do in this series? He’s allowed just a total of five goals in three games, yet has been saddled with two losses.
Braden Holtby though, has had three fantastic games. He posted his first career playoff shutout on Monday night in the 1-0 win, and the argument could be made that it was the best and most important game of his entire career.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"When he plays like that, we feel confidence. It doesn't matter what's going to happen, he's just going to make a save and keep us in the game." – Washington captain Alexander Ovechkin on the play of Braden Holtby in net
SITUATIONAL BETTING
The scoring is going to continue to be low in this series if these two teams continue to stay out of the penalty box. There have only been a total of 13 penalty kills needed in the three games to date, and each team has struck on the power play once.
PROP TALK
Alexander Ovechkin was held without a goal for the first time in this series on Monday night, but he certainly played a role in the proceedings the whole game. Ovie had four shots on goal to beat his total in that prop, and though he didn't score, he was all over the ice and is sure to get back on the stat sheet in this game.
ANALYSIS & PREDICTION
Nicklas Backstrom has been killing it in the faceoff circle for the Caps, and he is making a big difference for the team. In fact, it shouldn't be surprising that, in a very tight Game 3 that could have easily gone either way, Washington won 69 percent of the faceoffs.
The Rangers aren't doing the little things right in this series. They’re falling victim to tremendously physical play, and are getting beaten to a lot of 50/50 pucks in the neutral zone.
Furthermore, we’ve seen this out of New York at times in the playoffs in recent years. The team just seems to go into a rut offensively and never gets out of it.
Remember that the Rangers have only scored more than two goals in two games in these playoffs. If they don't plan on getting to three in this game, we feel as though they are going to be down 3-1 in this series going back to the Garden.
Washington 3, New York 2
BookMaker opened the odds for this Wednesday game before anyone else on the internet. The Capitals were set at -120, while the total debuted at 5. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly interface on your smartphone or tablet provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! Game 4 of the series between the New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals will start at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 6, 2015 at the Verizon Center in Washington DC. The contest will be broadcast nationally on NBC Sports Network.
