Los Angeles Kings at New York Rangers

By Sam Batz

The tried and true battle of West Coast versus East Coast will come to fruition on Sunday, Feb. 26th when the Los Angeles Kings travel to the Big Apple to take on the New York Rangers (5:00 PM EST, ESPN+). This will be the second matchup of the season between the Kings and Rangers. The first contest took place in Los Angeles, and ended 3-5 in favor of New York. Now it is the Rangers turn to host their West Coast rivals. The Kings need redemption, while the Rangers desperately need a victory. 

Los Angeles Kings Breakdown

The Kings are one of the best teams in the Western Conference. They are 33-19-8 with 74 points through 60 games, and according to FiveThirtyEight, have a 90% chance to make the playoffs. With 22 games remaining in the regular season, it would be a strong wager to bet on Los Angeles to see the postseason. They are 2nd in both the Pacific Division and the Western Conference, and are just 2 points away from leading in both. The Kings are coming off a 3-2 win over the New York Islanders on Friday, and will be looking to make it back-to-back wins against New York opponents on Sunday. 

Los Angeles went 6-2-2 in their last 10 games, and against the Eastern Conference, the Kings are 13-10-4 (win-rate: 48.1%), and on the road against the East, they are 7-5-3 (win-rate: 46.7%). These numbers don’t inspire much confidence, especially considering the fact that the Kings have already fallen to the Rangers this season. Left Wing Kevin Fiala leads the Kings with 63 player points off of 21 goals and 42 assists. Center Adrian Kempe, who has recorded 46 player points, leads the team in goals with 28. Both Fiala and Kempe have played all 60 games for Los Angeles this season, and will be expected to lead the Kings against a tough Rangers squad on Sunday. 

New York Rangers Breakdown

The Rangers of New York have a 33-17-9 record, accumulating 75 points in 59 games. They are 3rd in the Metropolitan Division, 6th in the Eastern Conference, and are almost a guarantee to make the playoffs. New York has gone 6-3-1 in their last 10, but have inexplicably lost 4 consecutive games directly after an impressive 7 game winning streak. Over the 4 game skid, the Rangers lit the lamp 7 total times (1.75 goals per game), and allowed 17 goals against (4.25 opponent goals per game). On the season, the Rangers goal differential is +29, but during the losing streak, is an abysmal -10. 

New York is floundering and will look to get things back on track against Los Angeles. Unfortunately, momentum is not on their side, as the Rangers face the Kings in the second game of a back-to-back, but lost 6-3 to the Washington Capitals in the first game. The Rangers are a top-six team according to ESPN’s NHL Power Rankings, but during the 4 game losing streak, lost every game to a team ranked below them. Despite the recent warning signs, the Rangers remain a top-tier team in the league. They are supported by a youthful roster, which may lack experience, but certainly doesn’t lack talent. Veteran Left Wing, Artemi Panarin (65 player points) will look to lead the young Rangers lineup to their first victory in over a week. 

Kings Vs. Rangers Season Stats

Los Angeles Kings (33-19-8) 74 198 (9th) 200 (23rd) -2 32.2 (14th) 3.30 (11th) 3.33 (22nd) 17-9-2 (60.7%) 16-10-6 (50.0%)

Stat Type Pts Total GF Total GA G Diff Shots/GP GF/GP GA/GP Home (Win-rate) Away (Win-rate)

New York Rangers (33-17-9) 75 193 (12th) 164 (10th) +29 32.3 (13th) 3.27 (12th) 2.78 (11th) 16-10-4 (53.3%) 17-7-5 (58.6%)

Kings Vs. Rangers Betting Trends

Los Angeles Kings 30-30 19-13 (Away) 13-14 (vs. East) 32-22-6 7-3 16-12-3 (as Underdogs) 10-9-3 (Underdogs Away)

Betting Trend ATS (Season) ATS (Home/Away) ATS (Conference) O/U (Season) O/U (Last 10) ML (Favorite/Underdog) ML (Home/Away)

New York Rangers 32-27 13-17 (Home) 15-14 (vs. West) 27-31-1 7-3 24-13-4 (as Favorites) 13-9-3 (Favorites Home)

Kings Vs. Rangers Odds

Betting odds courtesy of PointsBet:

Team	Spread	Total	Moneyline
Los Angeles Kings	N/A	N/A	N/A
New York Rangers	N/A	N/A	N/A

Check back later for the latest point spread, total, and moneyline odds on PointsBet. 

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Prediction

Despite the recent struggles, I like the Rangers in this one. New York and Los Angeles are two very evenly matched opponents. They are neck-and-neck in every statistical metric, except for goals against. The Kings have allowed 36 more opponent goals than the Rangers, which bodes well for New York, who has proved they can pour it on when they are in the mood. After a four-game losing streak, the Rangers will be fired up to get back in the win column, especially in front of the home court fans.  

• Prediction: New York Rangers Moneyline and the Over.  

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