Rangers-Devils Game 3

[RickRude]

Some interesting going ons with game 3 of Rangers Devils so I decided to take a look at this series. With LA and PHX providing zero value at this point on the Kings this is a series where you can make some money.

Devils are -120 favorite. Rangers are even for game 3. Over 4.5 -130, under 4.5 +110. Series price is Rangers -120, Devils Even.

If we look at the first two games of this series we see a Devils team that's employing a pretty interesting style so far. This is going to get hockey geeky, but NJ is taking away the wing pass on the breakout behind the net. This means if the Rangers can make the long pass around the boards to their wingers at the blue line they'll have a 3 on 3 with a D-man trying to make it a 4 on 3. The problem is that it's the hardest pass to make in the league. A 60 foot pass on the tape coming off the boards with a player attacking the man getting the puck. It's one of the major reasons the Devils forecheck has come in waves. If the Rangers can make that pass, and I would estimate they've done it around 35 percent through 3 games, they have a huge advantage in the middle of the ice.

But the Devils have taken that away and Parise and Gionta have used their speed to realyl disrupt the Rangers D. With 2 days off I expect Tortorella to have figured something out to slow them down. The Rangers CAN score in this series which is something they had enormous problems with in the first two series. If they can get the same amount of chances they got on Anderson in round 1 they will win the series, but if they keep getting only these 5-6 minute spurts and then defend for minutes at a time they won't put enough pressure on Brodeur.

The Devils will need to continue to get deflections and "garbage" goals on Lundqvist if they don't score on the PP. The Devils are +11 5 on 5 and -5 on the special teams. If they stay out of the box i think they win this series.

The Rangers have alternated wins and losses through 9 games, and neither they or their opponent has scored more than 3 goals in 15 games.

I expect the Rangers to play their best game of the series tomorrow. Two days off. Two practice days to figure something out. This is the first time the Rangers will be a dog in these playoffs. They are worth a play IMO. As is the under. I foresee a 2-1, 3-1 type of game tomorrow afternoon barring some fluky type goals. Buckle up, this series has 7 written all over it.