NY Rangers vs Anaheim Prediction: the Ducks to Fail Their Fifth Match

Prediction for the NHL match between NY Rangers vs Anaheim, which will take place on December 16th. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

The Rangers are looking excellent this season. For the past few years, we've forgotten that they can lead the standings, too. But now they're ready to take on the biggest challenges with a decent roster. Their coach, Peter Laviolette, doesn't let the players get complacent. This has led to tangible progress, but they have stalled a bit lately. New York has failed three in the last four meetings, only beating Los Angeles 4-1. The Rangers are in second place in the Eastern Conference.

Anaheim has underperformed in recent years as well, but they looked great in the opening game. It made us believe they were serious about fighting for the playoffs. Unfortunately, the sensation is unlikely to happen. By mid-November, the Ducks' spirit was gone, and they began to suffer one setback after another. They started with an eight-game losing streak. Then, the team defeated Colorado 4-3 in a shootout, which may have given them confidence. But in their last four games, they haven't earned a point and have fallen to 15th place in the Western standings.

The opponents are currently at opposite ends of the standings. While the Blues are second in the East, the Ducks have slipped to the penultimate spot. This fact alone makes the hosts the favorites. The Ducks started the season very well, but overnight, everything broke down for them, resulting in only 2 out of 26 points in their last 13 matches. 

The Rangers played great defensively initially, but its reliability has deteriorated lately. So, the offense has to improve the situation. All this has led to 45 goals in the last six games (averaging 7.50 per game). The Ducks have nothing to lose; they're failing game after game, so they shouldn't sit on defense.