New York Rangers vs Buffalo Sabres Prediction, 1/26/2021 NHL Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: New York Rangers vs Buffalo Sabres

Date: Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Location: KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY

TV: MSG-B

Odds/Point Spread: Rangers (+105) Sabres (-125)

Igor Shesterkin and the New York Rangers (1-3-1) travel to KeyBank Center on Tuesday where they'll meet the Buffalo Sabres (2-3-1). The odds on this game have the Rangers coming in at +105 and the Sabres are at -125. The total opens at 6.5.

The Rangers were on the wrong end of the scoreboard with a 3 - 2 defeat to the Penguins in their previous contest. The Rangers had an offensive game that was below their expectations in the defeat. While out there on the ice, they converted 2 of the 26 shots they put on goal. Moreover, they had 2 power play opportunities but didn't net one. New York ended up with 0 penalty minutes for this outing. The Corsi for the Rangers sat at 46 and the Corsi against at even strength was 48 which tells us they had a Corsi percentage of 48.9%. Their Fenwick was 36 while the Fenwick against was 34, which gave them a Fenwick percentage of 51.4%. They earned 26 face-off wins at even strength and lost 26 tries to control the puck. Their offensive zone starts came in at 53.8% and they had a PDO at even strength of 92.9 in this game. In discussing stats from the opponent, the Pittsburgh Penguins tallied 19 shots. They finished with a total of 4 penalty mins and they notched 0 power play opportunities.

In terms of scoring goals, the New York Rangers have accumulated 13 goals (23rd in the National Hockey League) on the year and have allowed 14. For the current campaign, thay have earned 3 points and their points percentage comes in at .300. New York steps onto the ice with 23 power play opportunities and they have scored 4 goals out of those chances, garnering them a percentage of 17.39%. At even strength, the Rangers have conceded 10 goals while getting 9. New York has attempted 166 shots and has a shooting percentage of 7.8%. The Rangers have had 131 shots tried against them and hold a save percentage of .893. New York Rangers opponents have earned 16 power play opportunities (25th in professional hockey) and have tallied 4 goals in those chances.

The player between the pipes for this game is Igor Shesterkin. Opponents have scored 39 goals against Shesterkin in his pro hockey career and his goals against average per game is 2.62. Shesterkin has been in goal for 16 games over the course of his NHL career. He has a save percentage of .924 during his 893 minutes played. He has a win-loss mark of 10-4-1 and was named the starter in 15 games. From the beginning of his pro career to now, Shesterkin has accounted for 9 quality starts and his rate for quality starts is .600. Shesterkin has seen 512 shots taken against him and has gathered 473 saves.

The Sabres played the Capitals in a matchup where the Sabres ended up with the victory by a mark of 4 - 3. Buffalo earned a 56.3% Corsi rating. They ended up with that by earning a Corsi of 58 while they gave up a Corsi of 45. Their Fenwick rate came in at 60.0% by earning a Fenwick of 45 and the Capitals having a 30 Fenwick at even strength. These Corsi stats speak to the kind of game that Buffalo played and they showed up in this game. Their PDO was 95.7 and their percentage of oZS was 59.8%. The Sabres netted 4 goals of the 48 shots on goal they were seeking. They had 5 power play chances in this outing and were able to convert 3 out of those chances. Regarding their opponent, the Capitals had 3 power play chances and ended up scoring 2 goals. Buffalo gave up 31 shots on goal and the Capitals had a total of 10 minutes in the box.

Buffalo has attempted 209 shots (4th in pro hockey) and has earned a shot percentage of 8.13%, while allowing the opposition 164 shots. They have earned a penalty kill rate of 66.67% on the other teams 9 power play opportunities, and their save percentage currently sits at 8.1%. They have a total of 22 power play chances and they have accumulated a power play percentage of 27.27%. The Sabres have tallied 11 goals at even strength and 6 goals (10th in pro hockey) while having a power play advantage. They have permitted 18 goals to be scored by of a combination of 15 goals at even strength and 3 goals while they were shorthanded. Over the course of the season, the Buffalo Sabres are sitting with 17 goals, 5 points, and a points percentage of .417.

Across the ice you are likely to see Linus Ullmark in net. His opposition is averaging 2.80 goals per game and he has given up 268 goals altogether. Ullmark's rate of quality starts is 56.8% and he has earned 54 quality starting assignments in his professional career. He has started in 95 games and has played 5,747 mins. Ullmark has accumulated a career mark of 42-42-11 and has been in goal for 100 games. He is sitting with 2,752 stops out of 3,020 shots taken, which gives him a save percentage of .911.

Who will win tonight's NHL game ATS?

Guy's Pick: Take Buffalo (-125)

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