There’s another Game 7 scheduled in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for Monday as the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers battle it out for a spot in the second round.
Home-ice advantage makes New Jersey a slight favorite for the contest as bookmaker BetOnline has the odds at -117 for a Devils win. The odds are at +106 for the Rangers to win, and the goals total stands at 5.5 with the odds for the over at +113 and for the under at -125.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: April 30th, 6:00 P.M. (EST)
This has been a fascinating back-and-forth series that has seen both sides hold the lead. The Rangers started out superbly by collecting a couple of big road wins, but the Devils battled back with three consecutive victories and here we are with a winner-takes-all game seven.
Can New Jersey tighten up their defense again Monday? They allowed five goals in Game 6 after giving up only two goals in the previous three games combined. After replacing the struggling Vitek Vanecek, Akira Schmid has done a wonderful job between the sticks, posting a 1.72 goals-against average with a .937 save percentage and one shutout.
The 22-year-old became the first goalie in franchise history to win all of his first three starts for the team and Devils fans will hope to see another rock-solid performance from Schmid in Game 7.
All eyes in New York will probably be on Artemi Panarin. The team’s top scorer has notched only two points in six appearances this postseason and the Rangers badly need more from him. Can he deliver a game-winning performance Monday?
With Panarin off form, Chris Kreider has become the main offensive catalyst for the Rangers. He has registered six goals so far, hitting five of them in power-play situations. In Saturday’s Game 6, Kreider matched former Rangers captain Mark Messier for the most goals scored in elimination games in Stanley Cup Playoffs history. It would be very special for him to grab another one on Monday.
Considering Kreider’s effectiveness on the power play, staying disciplined will definitely be one of the keys to success for New Jersey. Good performances from the team leaders will also be important. Nico Hischier had tallied an assist in four consecutive contests but has yet to score in the series. It’s been a big letdown for the team after the Devils captain enjoyed his first 30-goal year during the regular season. Monday’s game would be the perfect spot for Hischier to open his 2023 postseason account.
