The Ottawa Senators can advance to the NHL’s Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 2007 with a win on Tuesday when they visit the New York Rangers for Game 6 of their second-round playoff series as +150 underdogs on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Ottawa claimed a 3-2 series lead with a 5-4 overtime win as a +107 home underdog on Saturday, leaving the home team undefeated through the first five games of this series going into Tuesday night’s Senators versus Rangers betting matchup at Madison Square Garden.
The Senators rediscovered their offensive touch in Game 5, tallying five or more goals for the second time in the series, but must find ways to score in New York, where they found the back of the net just twice while falling to defeat in Games 3 and 4.
The Senators have posted just two wins in their past seven visits to Madison Square Garden while potting just 13 goals, seeing the total finish OVER just once in their past 12 visits.
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Those numbers have not dampened the Senators’ odds on the NHL series prices, where they are perched as -230 favourites to eliminate New York and claim a berth in the Eastern Conference Final. However, that confidence does not extend to the Stanley Cup odds where Ottawa is pegged at a long +800, ahead of only the Rangers at +1100.
The Rangers return home looking to extend their winning streak at Madison Square Garden to five games. New York has dominated on home ice since dropping a 3-1 decision to the Montreal Canadiens in a first-round Game 3 matchup as a pick‘em at the sportsbooks, allowing just four total goals during that stretch.
Overall, the Rangers have won six of their last eight home dates but have been streaky performers on home ice this season, highlighted by an eight-game losing streak between late February and late March, including seven defeats as betting favourites.
However, the Rangers own a strong track record when facing elimination from the post-season, going 16-5 in their past 21 games while teetering on the brink, and are 6-1 in their past seven Game 6 matchups, including four straight home wins.
Two of those must-win performances came five years ago in a first-round matchup against the Senators, with the Rangers rallying for a 3-2 Game 6 win in Ottawa before completing the comeback with a narrow 2-1 victory in Game 7 as a -160 home favourite.
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