The best-of-7 Eastern Conference playoff series between the Rangers and Hurricanes returns to Carolina on Thursday — and not a moment too soon for the Canes. That’s because 11 games into Carolina’s postseason, the home team is a perfect 11-for-11. So, naturally, the Hurricanes are favored in the NHL playoff odds market heading into Game 5.
New York evened the series at 2-2 after picking up victories in Games 3 and 4 at Madison Square Garden (combined score: 7-2). To keep their season alive, though, the Rangers will have to find a way to win at least once in Carolina’s barn — something no visitor has done in these playoffs.
After the Rangers and Hurricanes play their pivotal Game 5, the Battle for Alberta resumes in Calgary, where the Flames will try to stave off elimination against Edmonton. Since dropping the series opener 9-6, the Oilers have won three in a row by the combined tally of 14-7.
Can Edmonton finish off the Flames and earn its first Western Conference finals berth since losing the 2006 Stanley Cup? Or will Calgary send the series back to Edmonton for a Game 6? Props.com breaks down NHL playoff odds and action for Thursday’s pair of Game 5 matchups.
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New York Rangers vs Carolina Hurricanes (Game 5)
| Matchup | Game 5 Moneyline | Game 5 Puckline | Game 5 Total | Series Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Rangers | +135 | -220 (+1.5 goals) | 5.5 (Over +120) | +125 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | -155 | +180 (-1.5 goals) | 5.5 (Under -140) | -145 |
Odds via DraftKings and updated as of 5:25 p.m. ET on May 26.
Puck Drop/TV: 7 p.m. ET/ESPN
Best-of-7 series: Tied 2-2.
Game 4 recap: New York followed a 3-1 victory in Game 3 with a 4-1 triumph Tuesday night to even the series. Goaltender Igor Shesterkin continued his stellar play by stopping 30 of 31 shots for the Rangers, who cashed in what was a consensus pick ’em contest. The teams combined for the most goals in the series so far, but still fell shy of the consensus 5.5-goal total. The home team is 4-0 in this series, as is the Under.
Slap Shots
Rangers: With Tuesday’s win, New York matched the Hurricanes’ 6-5 playoff record, going 5-2 in the last seven. … The Rangers are 5-1 at Madison Square Garden, but 1-4 as a visitor. The home team has won nine of the team’s last 10 contests. … The Rangers have scored 11 goals in their last three home games dating to Game 7 of the first round against Pittsburgh. However, they produced just one goal in Games 1 and 2 at Carolina. … Eight of New York’s last 10 games were decided by 2+ goals. … Shesterkin, who had a rough start to the playoffs against Pittsburgh, has been brilliant in this series, stopping 117 of 122 shots. Over his last seven games, the presumptive Vezina Trophy winner has posted a .939 save percentage (216 saves on 230 shots).
Hurricanes: Carolina’s home-road dichotomy in the playoffs is something to behold. The Hurricanes are 6-0 at home (outscoring opponents 22-7) but 0-5 on the road (getting outscored 21-8). … Going back to their six-game winning streak to end the regular season, Carolina has won eight straight home games, all by multiple goals. Also, nine of the team’s 11 postseason contests have been decided by multiple goals. The Canes are 4-5 in those games. … Carolina is still 5-3 against the Rangers this season, with a 20-18 goals advantage. Six of the eight meetings have been decided by 2+ goals.
From the Penalty Box
Carolina went 0-for-2 on the power play in Game 4. The Hurricanes are now 5-for-45 in the playoffs (11.1%) and 9-for-94 (9.5%) dating back to the regular season. Carolina has killed 32 of 40 penalties in the playoffs (80%) after posting a league-best 88% penalty kill in the regular season.
New York cashed in one of its four power-play chances Tuesday and is now 8-for-30 (26.7%) with a man advantage in the postseason. The Rangers have killed 26 of 32 (81.3%).
Betting Nuggets
- New York is 1-5 in its last six road games
- New York is 0-5 in its last five as an underdog
- Carolina is on positive runs of 27-8 as a favorite and 7-2 in the conference semifinals
- Under is 5-0 in Carolina’s last five overall
- Carolina is 5-1 in its last six home games vs. New York
- Under is 5-1 in the last six Rangers-Canes battles in Carolina
Game 5 prediction: Hurricanes 1, Rangers 0
Edmonton Oilers vs Calgary Flames (Game 5)
| Matchup | Game 5 Moneyline | Game 5 Puckline | Game 5 Total | Series Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmonton Oilers | +130 | -195 (+1.5 goals) | 6.5 (Over -105) | -600 |
| Calgary Flames | -150 | +165 (-1.5 goals) | 6.5 (Under -115) | +450 |
Odds via DraftKings and updated as of 5:25 p.m. ET on May 26.
Puck Drop/TV: 9:30 p.m. ET/ESPN
Best-of-7 series: Edmonton leads, 3-1.
Game 5 recap: Edmonton let a 3-0, first-period lead slip away Tuesday, then broke a 3-3 tie with a pair of late third-period goals and held on for a 5-3 victory. Evander Kane followed up his Game 3 hat trick with two more goals, including an empty-netter with 25 seconds left, as the Oilers cashed as a consensus -115 favorite. The game easily cleared the 6.5-goal total, making the Over 3-1 in the series.
Slap Shots
Oilers: Kane now has an NHL-best 12 goals. Teammates Zach Hyman and Leon Draisaitl are tied for third with seven each. Also, Connor McDavid and Draisaitl rank 1-2 in assists (19 and 15, respectively) and points (25 and 22). … Since falling behind the Kings 3-2 in the opening round, the Oilers have won five of six. They’re now 21-5-1 in their last 27 games overall (7-4 in the playoffs). Edmonton is 3-2 on the road in the postseason. … Nine of the Oilers’ last 10 contests — including six in a row — have been decided by multiple goals. Edmonton now leads this year’s Battle for Alberta 5-3. Each of the past 11 meetings have been decided by 2+ goals.
Flames: Calgary is just 5-8 (one OT loss) in its last 13 games (5-6 in the playoffs, including 3-3 at home). … The Flames have lost three in a row for the first time since March 29-April 2, a stretch of 25 games. They have played 59 games since last losing four in a row from Jan. 4-13. … Nine of Calgary’s last 10 contests have been decided by multiple goals. … The Flames scored 15 goals in Games 1, 2 and 4 of this series, but have produced just 16 goals in their other eight postseason contests.
From the Penalty Box
The teams combined to go 3-for-7 on the power play Tuesday night. They’re still just 6-for-35 with the man advantage in this series, as 30 of 35 goals have been tallied at even strength. The Oilers are 10-for-38 on the power play in the playoffs (26.3%), while Calgary is 5-for-39 (12.8%).
Edmonton has killed 33 of 39 power plays (84.6%). The Flames have allowed just five power-play goals in 43 chances this postseason (88.4%).
Betting Nuggets
- Edmonton is 4-1 in its last five as an underdog
- Favorite is 6-2 in the last eight Oilers-Flames battles
- Home team is 8-1 in the last nine meetings in this rivalry
- Over is 4-1-1 in Calgary’s last six overall and 7-3-2 in its last 12 at home
- Over is 6-2 in the last eight head-to-head meetings (5-2 this season)
Game 5 Prediction: Flames 5, Oilers 3
NHL Playoff Odds and Action Updates
Hurricanes vs Rangers
UPDATED 5:25 P.M. ET THURSDAY: Less than two hours before puck drop, DraftKings still has Game 5 priced at Carolina -155/New York +135. Both tickets (63%) and money (56%) are shaded toward the Hurricanes. The puckline also is unchanged from earlier in the day, pegged to Carolina (-1.5) +180/New York (+1.5) -220, with two-way action of 59% bets on the Rangers and 76% dollars on the Canes.
No change in the total, either, which sits at 5.5/Under -140. Tickets are nearly dead even (51% Over/49% Under), but 60% of the cash is on the Over.
UPDATED NOON ET THURSDAY: Carolina remains a -155 favorite on DraftKings’ NHL playoff odds board, with New York holding as a +135 underdog. Ticket count favors the home team at 61%, with money close to even (Hurricanes 54%/Rangers 46%).
The puckline — which opened at Hurricanes (-1.5) +185/Rangers (+1.5) -225 then dropped to Hurricanes +175/Rangers -210 — has inched up a bit. It’s now at Carolina +180/New York -220 on split action of 61% wagers on the Rangers/76% cash on the Hurricanes.
The total has returned to the opener of 5.5 after dipping to 5 on Wednesday evening. Given that there’s heavy juice to the Under (-140), it’s possible the total could again plunge to 5. So far, there’s two-way action on the total at DraftKings, with 54% of all wagers on the Under but 75% of the money on the Over.
UPDATED 8 P.M. ET WEDNESDAY: Carolina hit DraftKings’ NHL playoff odds board as a -140 home favorite and has since climbed to -155. The Rangers have gone from +115 to +135. The puckline opened at Hurricanes (-1.5) +185/Rangers (+1.5) -225. After multiple moves up and down, the puckline now sits at Hurricanes +175/Rangers -210.
DraftKings initially posted the Game 5 total at 5.5/Under -145, followed by juice adjustments to Under -140 and Under -135. About an hour ago, though, the total dropped to 5/Over -135.
Oilers vs Flames
UPDATED 5:25 P.M. ET THURSDAY: Calgary is holding firm at -150 at DraftKings, with the Oilers stuck to +130. There’s nearly perfect two-way action on the moneyline, as 52% of all wagers are on Edmonton while the money is split 50-50. The puckline also remains pegged to the same price of Flames (-1.5) +165/Oilers (+1.5) -195, with 65% of the tickets and 88% of the dough on the visitors.
The total is still sitting at 6.5, but the juice has flipped from Over -125 to Under -115. That’s totally contrary to the betting action, as 84% of all tickets and 94% of the cash at DraftKings is on the Over.
UPDATED NOON ET THURSDAY: Calgary opened at -140 at DraftKings and reached as high as -160 as of midday ET Wednesday. However, the Flames dialed back to -150 overnight and remain there. Edmonton’s underdog money line price has bounced between +120 and +140 and is currently sitting at +130. Ticket count is dead even at DraftKings, though 60% of the money is on the visiting Oilers.
The puckline odds continue to be in near constant motion, pinging between the opener of Flames (-1.5) +185/Oilers (+1.5) -225 and Flames +150/Oilers -170, stopping at multiple points in between. Currently, the puckline is priced at Flames +165/Oilers -195, with 55% of the tickets and a whopping 91% of the money on Edmonton.
The total continues to hold at 6.5, with the Over at -125 (up from -120). Not surprisingly, DraftKings reports an overwhelming majority of wagers (83%) and dollars (93%) are on the Over.
UPDATED 8 P.M. ET WEDNESDAY: Calgary has moved from a -140 home favorite at DraftKings to -145, -155 and now -160. Edmonton’s Game 5 moneyline odds have shifted from +120 to +140. The puckline opened at Flames (-1.5) +185/Oilers (+1.5) -225, bottomed out at Flames +150/Oilers -170 and is now sitting at Flames +160/Oilers -190.
The total was initially set at 6.5/Over -120, and after several juice adjustments, it’s back to the opener.
Check back prior to puck drop for NHL playoff odds and action updates on Thursday’s Game 5 matchups.
