The struggling New York Rangers (16-19-1) welcome the surging Boston Bruins (20-15-4) to Madison Square Garden on Thursday night in what promises to be a pivotal Eastern Conference matchup.
The Bruins enter the contest riding a strong 5-2-1 record in their last eight games while sitting just four points out of first place in the Atlantic Division, powered by David Pastrnak's impressive 37-point campaign.
The Rangers, meanwhile, find themselves in the midst of a concerning four-game losing streak and will face additional challenges with starting goaltender Igor Shesterkin sidelined due to injury.
Recent history favors the home team, as the Rangers swept all three meetings against the Bruins last season, though both teams enter this matchup on drastically different trajectories.
Boston's defensive prowess has been particularly notable, allowing just 11 goals in their past five games, while New York has struggled to find the back of the net, scoring two or fewer goals in six of their last eight contests.
As these Original Six rivals prepare to face off at Madison Square Garden, both teams will be looking to make a statement in what could be a season-defining moment for their respective playoff aspirations.
New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins: who will win?
For tonight's Rangers vs Bruins matchup, our predictive model gives the Bruins a 73.33% chance of defeating the Rangers.
Boston Bruins: 73.33% win probability
- Higher league position (6th in Eastern Conference vs Rangers' 15th)
- Better win-loss record (20-15 vs Rangers' 16-19)
- Superior goal differential (-16 vs Rangers' -12)
New York Rangers: 26.67% win probability
- Poor recent form (LLLLW - only 1 win in last 5 games)
- Lower scoring efficiency (101 goals in 36 games, 2.81 goals/game)
- Struggling defense (113 goals against in 36 games, 3.14 GA/game)
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model combines insights from top NHL experts. Instead of sifting through hundreds of expert analyses across the web, you can rely on our predictions to understand the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing predictions, data, and opinions, and our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. We then average these levels to produce an 'expert opinion' win probability—reflecting the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NHL experts.
New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins odds
| New York Rangers | Boston Bruins | |
|---|---|---|
| moneyline | +100 (via Caesars Sportsbook) | -118 (via DraftKings Sportsbook) |
Key stats
- 1The New York Rangers have won 16 out of 36 matches this season.
- 2The Boston Bruins have won 20 out of 39 matches this season.
- 3With 33 points, the New York Rangers holds the 15th position in the league standings.
- 4Boston Bruins's 44 points place them 6th in the rankings.
New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins form
New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins head to head
New York Rangers
83%
Boston Bruins
17%
Sep 26, 2024
New York Rangers
5 : 2
Boston Bruins
Sep 22, 2024
Boston Bruins
2 : 3
New York Rangers
Mar 21, 2024
Boston Bruins
2 : 5
New York Rangers
Dec 17, 2023
Boston Bruins
1 : 2
New York Rangers
Nov 25, 2023
New York Rangers
7 : 4
Boston Bruins
Oct 5, 2023
New York Rangers
1 : 3
Boston Bruins
