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Rangers vs. Penguins Prediction and Odds for Game 3 (Can Louis Domingue Regain Game 1 Form?)

By Matt De Saro

Pittsburgh Penguins v New York Rangers - Game Two
Pittsburgh Penguins v New York Rangers - Game Two / Bruce Bennett/GettyImages
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The New York Rangers evened up their Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night. The Rangers bounced back after a Game 1 OT loss by a final of 4-3 thanks in large part to a lack of quality goaltending. This is because the biggest news to come out of this series is the Penguins' starting goalie Casey DeSmith. He pulled himself out of Game 1 and it was announced that he underwent core-muscle surgery. 

With DeSith down, the Penguins are now faced with the harsh reality of trying to put together a championship run with Louis Louis Domingue between the pipes. Game 2 was far less competitive as a result and I am not sure their home ice will help Pitt avoid another loss tonight. 

Here are the odds for tonight’s matchup, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.

Rangers vs. Penguins Odds and Total

Moneyline:

  • Rangers -120
  • Penguins +100

Puck line:

  • Rangers -1.5 (+200)
  • Penguins -1.5 (-250)

Total:

  • 6 (Over +100/Under -120)

Rangers vs. Penguins Prediction and Pick

Penguins fans, and bettors like myself, thought that Louis Domingue could keep the momentum going after making an emergency appearance in Game 1. Louis Domingue stood on his head, albeit briefly, and stopped all 17 shots the Penguins sent at him. It gave Pitt the time to get the puck to Evgeni Malkin with 5:58 to go in the sixth period for the win. 

However, on Friday, the third-string goalie for Pittsburgh got beat up as one would expect from the third-best goalie on the team. The Rangers put 40 shots on goal and scored five times. What makes this more impressive is that the five different Rangers scored on Louis Domingue and left him with a rating of -1.2 Goals Saved Above Expected. 

To make things worse, DeSmith is not the only significant injury the Pens are dealing with. Richard Rakell, Jason Zucker, and Brian Dumoulin are all listed as day-to-day.

As tempting as it is to take the Pens at home to pull off a zig-zag win, Louis Domingue did not look sharp at all on Thursday night. He is 30 years old, but Game 2 was his first start in the playoffs and added to his 18 total minutes to playoff action in relief.  The Penguins are a better overall team, but without a strong goalie, I think the Rangers are able to chip them down again. 

Pick: Rangers -120 ML

Follow all of Matt De Saro’s betting picks HERE

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