New York Rangers – Buffalo Sabres: a Madison Square Garden shootout ! 
This one’s got sharp contrasts written all over it. The New York Rangers are stuck down in the table, but their current form has been anything but meek. Buffalo Sabres, meanwhile, sit near the top in the East, yet they’ve been all over the place as the season winds down.
Can the hosts keep this surge rolling, or will the visitors remind everyone where they stand? We’ve dug through the numbers and stripped it back to the brutal truth.
New York Rangers, a side that just won’t quit 
Despite a modest 16th place in the Eastern Conference and 29th overall, New York Rangers have looked like a different team of late. With 75 points and a goal tally of 229-238, they’ve still only taken one loss in their last six outings.
Their latest demolition job saw New York Rangers tear Washington apart 8-1. After a tight opening period, they took full control by rattling in five unanswered goals in the second alone. They also handled Detroit with ease, winning 4-1. The only recent slip came against Montréal in a narrow 3-2 defeat. New York Rangers are skating with a bit of bite again, flying through transitions and going straight for the jugular, even if the back end is still loose enough to make every game a bit of a circus.
Buffalo Sabres, a leader with the odd wobble 
With 102 points on the board, Buffalo Sabres are sitting 3rd in the East and 5th in the league overall. But the playoff run-in seems to have hit their legs, with a mixed return of 3 wins and 2 defeats from their last five. They’ve just taken Tampa Bay down 4-2 with cold-blooded efficiency, but there have also been worrying signs of sloppiness.
Think back to their heavy collapse against Washington, a 6-2 loss where they fell apart after a first period that was still in the balance, or the 4-1 defeat to Ottawa. Even so, Buffalo Sabres remain a road machine, avoiding defeat in normal time in 14 of their last 16 away games. That discipline, plus a system that’s well drilled on the road, will be their best weapon against the home side’s energy.
NHL Pick New York Rangers vs Buffalo Sabres
Over 5.5 goals in the game
All the signs point to a loose, open contest. New York Rangers are on a scoring spree, as shown by the eight they put past the Capitals and the four they hit Detroit for. The stats back it up too: the 6-goal line has been cleared in 6 of New York Rangers’ last 8 games.
On the other side, Buffalo Sabres can be brittle at the back, shipping six against Washington, but they still carry a punch going forward. Put New York Rangers’ attacking intent and defensive gaps together with visitors who can punish any mistake, and the cleanest read of the night is a game with at least six goals on the board. Over 5.5 looks the obvious call.
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