NHL 2023/24 Play-offs, Conference Finals, Game 4 on Wednesday, 29.05.2024
While on the other side of the pond, the Czechs have just crowned themselves world champions at the Ice Hockey World Championship at home, the exciting phase of the 2024 NHL play-offs is underway in North America. Four teams still want to reach the final here.
The New York Islanders currently hold the better cards in the east of the country. They lead the battle for supremacy in the Eastern Conference 2:1 after games.
If everything goes to plan according to my Panthers Rangers tip, they could even serve up two match points at home very soon …
You can really go so far as to say that the Rangers “cheated” their way to Game 3. The Floridians set the tone for long stretches of the game.
A key factor in the Rangers’ victory was the outstanding performance of Igor Shesterkin in goal.
With 33 saves, including several crucial saves in the final minutes of the third period and in overtime, he kept the New Yorkers in the game until the end.
There, a goal by Wennberg in the 5th minute of overtime sealed the fate of Game 3, which has now clearly shifted the pendulum in favor of the “Broadway Blueshirts.”
Bottom line, I would attribute the Rangers’ success to the individual class of two players: Alexis Lafrenière & Barclay Goodrow.
Goodrow contributed significantly to his team’s victory with two goals. His second goal in particular, a powerful shot while the Rangers were shorthanded, increased the lead to 4-2 and seemed to have momentarily rattled the Panthers.
The 31-year-old, who has significantly increased his scoring threat in the playoffs, proved once again how valuable he is to the team. But in terms of my Panthers Rangers tip for Game 4, his teammate Lefrenière plays a much bigger role.
My focus for tonight is Alexis Lafrenière, as the Canadian has just played perhaps his best game of the season.
Alexis Lafrenière scored two goals in impressive fashion. He first converted a backhand shot that eluded Sergei Bobrovsky’s catching glove and tied the game at 1-1 after 7:17 minutes in the first period.
He then made it 3-2 New York 15:23 minutes into the second period when, on a solo run through three Panthers players, he toe-dragged the puck past Dmitry Kulikov and spiked a backhand shot past Bobrovsky.
It remains a series on a knife-edge as far as the possible outcome is concerned. But there are reasons why the Rangers have now won 5 of their 6 playoff games away from home.
They may have come under pressure in the meantime, but their goalie and exceptional forward play have kept them in the game long enough to be dangerous at the back.
In any case, the last exchange of blows should also have shown you that a home win bet at odds of just 1.88 is hardly worthwhile. The New Yorkers are simply far too unpleasant an opponent for that
The fact that the game could go into extra time again is an option that you should also have on your radar tonight.
And if you muster up the necessary courage, you’ll also get a decent offer in the form of odds of around 4.20 for an overtime bet.
For my part, I prefer to hedge my bets by placing a double chance X2 bet on the away-strong Rangers. This gravitates around a value of around 1.80 and is by no means uninteresting
On the other hand, I can’t advise you to place an away win bet, as I have enormous respect for the Floridians.
The Panthers are in the play-offs for the fifth time in a row and even reached the Stanley Cup final last season, where they ultimately lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games (1:4).
Also interesting: Each of the Rangers’ last ten away games against their upcoming opponents has always and without exception produced seven goals upwards
Conclusion: The Panthers have their backs against the wall, as they cannot lose Game 4 at any cost.
But the opposing goalie is giving them a headache and in the decisive moments of the game, to make matters worse, the luck that accompanied them to the Stanley Cup Final in the previous season seems to have deserted them.
I wouldn’t be shocked if we went to overtime again, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Alexis Lafrenière was dangerous in front of the Floridian box again.
My Panthers Rangers tip is therefore: Double chance X2 & Lafrenière scores
