The Boston Bruins will look to end a three-game losing streak and solidify their tenuous grip on third place in the Atlantic Division when they visit the New York Rangers on Wednesday as +120 betting underdogs at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Boston wraps up a disappointing four-game road swing with Wednesday night’s Bruins vs. Rangers betting matchup at Madison Square Garden, after falling in its previous three dates on its current junket, tallying just three total goals in losses to the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings.
Despite their current slide, in which they have lost five of their past eight, the Bruins maintain solid 18-1 odds to win the Stanley Cup, and remain in striking distance of the Florida Panthers, who sit atop the Atlantic Division with 89 points, three ahead of Boston.
The Rangers did Boston a favor Monday, handing the Panthers a 4-2 defeat to end a brief two-game losing skid of their own. New York has been less than dominant of late, posting wins in just four of its past 10 games, and failing to record consecutive victories in over three weeks.
That recent swoon has yet to dislodge New York from second place in the Metropolitan Division, but it has seen its lead diminished to just two points over the third-place Pittsburgh Penguins, and four points over the fourth-place New York Islanders.
Wednesday night’s contest marks the third and final meeting of the regular season between these two clubs, with the Bruins and Rangers splitting the previous two, each recording wins on home ice.
The Bruins have dominated New York in recent clashes, picking up wins in 10 of their past 13 meetings, and have not surrendered consecutive decisions to the Rangers since midway through the 2013 season.
However, Boston is winless in its past two visits to Madison Square Garden, and three of its past five, according to the OddsShark NHL Database.
Following Wednesday’s game, the Bruins return home for a date with the Panthers on Thursday before embarking on a four-game road trip that could hold the key to their playoff hopes.
Florida’s loss to the Rangers dropped it to 5-8 in its past 13 games, a slide that has impacted its Stanley Cup odds, which have tumbled to 20-1, and it has posted just two wins in its past 15 games against Boston.
The Bruins then travel to Toronto on Saturday for a tilt with the Maple Leafs, followed by games against the New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks before returning home for a three-game homestand to wrap up the regular season.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
