As the Colorado Avalanche await their final opponent, the Eastern Conference Final is tied up at two. Thanks to four goals from four different players, the Tampa Bay Lightning earned a 4-1 victory over the New York Rangers in Game 4. They’ll head back to Madison Square Garden and hope their luck is a little better this time around. This is where you’ll find everything, including team win odds, the over/under, and point spreads.
Artemi Panarin – Anytime Goal-Scorer (+260)
With two goals and five points in this series, Artemi Panarin is stepping up his game in a big way. He’s showing all the signs of a leader for his team, and his contribution extends past his numbers. Panarin has looked excellent when leading the charge, and defensively he’s as engaged in plays as we’ve ever seen. He’s doing all the little things right, and it’s paying off for him.
He tends to pick it up when playing at home, and we expect that to continue tonight. He’ll be leaned on heavily with injuries to both Ryan Strome and Filip Chytil serving as blows to the Rangers lineup. At the odds of +260, it’s too good to pass up on and is worth taking the risk. He has a goal at home in each series thus far, so let’s see if he can step things up tonight.
Andrew Copp – Player Points (Over 0.5, +100)
The Rangers took a gamble on acquiring Andrew Copp at the trade deadline, and it appears to be paying off nicely. He was injected into the lineup and immediately clicked with Strome and Panarin. With Strome now sidelined, expect Copp to play with some fire.
Get the latest odds, lines, props, picks & futures in your inbox everyday. Signup for our daily newsletter
He’s the type of player to excel when the going gets tough, as he isn’t afraid to go to the high-danger areas and dig for chances. He’s a good bet to pick up a point tonight, despite only having one assist against the Lightning thus far.
Adam Fox – Player Powerplay Points (Over 0.5, +140)
We can’t say enough good things about Adam Fox and the way he plays the game. He was held off the scoresheet in Game 4 for the first time in nine games. That won’t sit right with him, as he prides himself on his offensive upside and ability to control the flow of a game. He had 13 points during the eight-game stint, and he’ll feel the need to put some points on the board in front of his home crowd.
While it isn’t a do-or-die situation for the Rangers just yet, allowing them back into the series raises some concern. After going up 2-0, they may have felt a little too comfortable with their positioning. With Tampa Bay now back in it, they’re feeling at home while New York searches for a response. Fox is the type of player who can make or break a game, so look for the 23-year-old to be a difference-maker tonight and be effective on the man advantage.
Odds via Yahoo and BetMGM.
The Hockey Writers & THWBets promotes responsible gaming, and provides this content as opinion and analysis with no guarantees or assurances.
For more information about responsible gambling, including help for problem gambling behaviour, please visit these great resource pages:
If you’re in Canada, Rogers Sports & Media has put together a great information and resources page.
If you’re in the United States, MGMResorts has a great page for gambling problem resources.
