New York's Artemi Panarin is on a career-worst eight-game postseason scoring drought that is bound to be broken as he continues to play with the red hot Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafrenière.
Saturday may be a historic night for fans of the Florida Panthers as they are one win away from their second straight Stanley Cup Final berth. The Panthers clutch Game Five win has applied the pressure on the Rangers as they will need to win two straight games to keep their season and Championship hopes alive.
We are coming off a 0-2 night Friday but look to bounce back tonight and get hot once again. We are still 8-7 over our last 15 picks and leave us on the verge of a hot streak, if we start getting bounces our way.
All betting lines are from BetMGM and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.
Bet: Rangers ML (+140), Artemi Panarin anytime goal (+170)
The Rangers will be fighting for their playoff lives and have to do it on the road. New York will need a big performance from their star players in Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin, who have no goals in the Eastern Conference Finals. Forwards Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafrenière have carried the torch offensively with Trocheck averaging a point per game and Lafrenière scoring four clutch goals in a breakout postseason.
Panarin entered the Conference Finals with a sensational history versus the Panthers with seven goals and 13 assists in 11 matchups versus Florida while a member of the Rangers. It hasn't translated to the postseason as he has just three points in this series and hasn't had a big moment just yet.
He is running out of time to leave his mark and is on a eight-game scoring drought that is the worst of his career during the postseason. He is long overdue for a big game and will see his chances as he continues to play on a line with Trocheck and Lafrenière, who should spread their red hot play as of late to the Russian winger.
The trio have dominated when playing together with a combined 11 goals and 25 points in seven road games this postseason. They will need to continue to make an impact and help improve their 5-2 road record.