Rangers vs Dallas: New York to recover from the first-game setback

The Dallas hockey team has beaten the Rangers in New York in three of the last four head-to-head meetings. Will New York be able to improve on that statistic? We predict that the home side will be closer this time!

The Rangers had another poor start to the regular season. Last season, sluggishness and a lack of consistency in most games resulted in a quality squad that blew past the playoffs. At the time, you could blame David Quinn, who had trouble finding a teammate, but now it’s the experienced Gerard Gallant who’s in charge. The Blue Jackets lost even under him, falling to Washington, D.C., 1-5. Yes, the Rangers fell to the crazy Alexander Ovechkin in that game, who went off the chain and scored on power plays and penalty kills for a total of four points, but where were the leaders from New York? That’s something the new coaching staff will have to deal with.

Dallas were a Stanley Cup finalist the year before last, but that success was a sensation and a fluke. All of that was borne out last season when the Stars, retaining their core team, failed to make the playoffs, finishing the regular season fifth in the Central Division standings. The offseason saw the departure of Jason Dickinson, Jamie Oleksiak, and Andrew Cogliano, while acquisitions included Braden Holtby, Luke Glendening, and Ryan Suter. Dallas are now an even more experienced team, with Rick Bowness, who retained his position even though he failed last season, continuing to manage the team.

The Rangers started the current season with a 1-5 loss to Washington, but they have already had one official meeting, entering competitive mode. For Dallas, the regular season starts at Madison Square Garden, and they’ll be right back at the helm of the furious Blue Jackets, where Gerard Gallant is now in charge. There is a high probability that this mentor will shout to his star charges, which David Quinn failed to do, so we will already see them working on their mistakes. You can bet on Rangers to win the match for 2.20.

The pre-season games played by Dallas have shown that Rick Bowness’ wards are ready to continue playing bright and spectacular hockey. In all seven games, 40 goals were scored (5.71 average per game), not bad by NHL standards. After their upset loss in the season opener, the Rangers will be in for a rude awakening at home, trying to make up for their disappointing loss to Washington. This all bodes well for an eventful and goal-laden encounter, and we would expect Total Over 5.5 pucks for 1.73.

Adam Fox is still a young and promising defensive player for the Rangers, who, in addition to his primary duties on defense, likes to join the attack and does it very well. Every year he improves his statistical performance. Last season the American recorded 47 points (5 goals + 42 assists) in 55 games. In the current regular season, he’s been a solid performer since his first game with an assist. In such a situation, Adam Fox’s Total Over 0.5 points for 5.00 is worth a closer look.