Devils vs. Rangers Game 3 prediction: Count on the Rangers to keep rolling

The New Jersey Devils have been a disaster so far in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

A young, exciting team making its first foray into the postseason, there were plenty of skeptics who wondered if Lindy Ruff’s team would be able to handle this moment, especially against an opponent that boasts plenty of playoff experience throughout its ranks.

The answer through two games is a clear and resounding “no.”

The Devils have been outscored 10-2 in Games 1 and 2 (both of which were at home) and even the most rosy-eyed Devils fan would struggle to make an argument that New Jersey deserved a better fate than that ugly aggregate scoreline.

Will the clinic continue on Saturday night?

Rangers 1.5 (+185, BetMGM)

What is most frustrating for Devils fans is that everyone knew what their team would need to do (and avoid) to beat the Rangers. New Jersey was one of the best 5-on-5 teams in the NHL this year and used its speed and transition game to dictate tempo night in and night out. It was expected that New Jersey’s advantage at 5-on-5 would show up in this series because the Blueshirts did not boast great 5-on-5 numbers during the regular season.

That said, the Rangers are never really fussed about getting out-chanced at even strength. They have an all-world goaltender, a terrific power play and an abundance of game-breaking talent, so they’re comfortable waiting you out and betting on themselves to make their opportunities count more than their opponent.

What this all means is that the Devils just needed to play a disciplined style of hockey to limit the Rangers from getting too many chances. Instead, the Devils have done the exact opposite and have paid dearly for it.

New Jersey has handed the Rangers 10 power plays and plenty of odd-man rushes through the first two games and the Blueshirts have done what they do best, punished their opponents when they make mistakes.

The Rangers are 4-for-10 on the power play, but they’re also outscoring the Devils, 5-0, at 5-on-5 and have generated 18 high-danger scoring chances at even strength while allowing 17. Things could not be going better for the Rangers.

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So now the conundrum for bettors becomes: Which Devils team will show up for Saturday’s Game 3 and beyond? The Devils were one of the most impressive teams in the entire league all season, but they’ve looked like a shell of themselves through the first 120 minutes of this series. The regular-season version of the Devils is a team that can bounce back and win four of five against Igor Shesterkin and the Rangers, but based on the recent evidence it’s hard to imagine the young Devils can flip the switch and get back into this thing.

New Jersey can point to the fact that they were the second-best road team in the NHL in 2022-23, but this series has proven to be a different kind of animal for this inexperienced team to overcome. At the time of writing the Rangers are sitting at -140, but you’d expect money to come in on the Blueshirts and push this price even higher.

Perhaps the Devils re-gain their form from the regular season, but it’s hard to trust them to be able to navigate a road playoff game based on what we’ve seen the past two games. If things go south, they could hit rock bottom pretty quickly and another rout could be in the cards.

Moneyline: Rangers -145; Devils +120

Puck line: Rangers -1.5 (+185); Devils +1.5 (-225)

Total: 5.5 goals (under +100; over -120)

The Bet: Rangers -1.5 (+185)

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