The NHL betting action goes on Wednesday, May 11, with Game 5 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Eastern Conference first-round series between Pittsburgh and New York, so here’s the best Penguins vs. Rangers betting pick.  

Pittsburgh is one step away from the conference semifinals. The Penguins open as +115 road underdogs for Wednesday’s contest, while the Rangers are -135 moneyline favorites with a total of 6.5 goals on BetDSI Sportsbook. 

The Pens tortured the Rangers at home                      

After a 7-4 victory in Game 3, the Pittsburgh Penguins trounced the New York Rangers 7-2 as +100 home underdogs in Game 4 this past Monday. The Pens upset the odds once more and took a 3-1 lead in this first-round set, while seven different players found the back of the net. 

Pittsburgh outshot New York 41-24 and won ten faceoffs more than its opponents (29-19). Center Sidney Crosby scored once and made a couple of dishes, while Louis Domingue posted 22 saves. Domingue, who’s the Pens’ third-string goaltender, is now 3-1-0 with a 3.40 GAA and .906 save percentage this postseason. 

Casey DeSmith is done for the season due to an abdomen injury, while Tristan Jarry is still recovering from a lower-body injury that has kept him off the ice since April 14. Hereof, Domingue will get another starting call Wednesday. 

The Rangers’ mighty defense is falling apart          

The New York Rangers finished the regular season with the second-lowest scoring defense in the NHL. They were surrendering only 2.49 goals per game, while Igor Shesterkin was one of the best goaltenders in the league, posting a 36-13-4 record, 2.07 GAA, .935 save percentage, and six shutouts. 

However, the Rangers’ defense collapsed in the postseason. New York has allowed a whopping 20 goals over the previous four contests, while Shesterkin hasn’t finished the previous two heavy losses in Pittsburgh. 

Igor Shesterkin is a frontrunner to win the Vezina Trophy. He should get another starting call in Game 5, but Shesterkin will also need more help from his teammates. Defenseman Ryan Lindgren has missed the previous three contests due to a lower-body injury and is questionable to play in Game 5. 

Trends:

Pittsburgh: 

  • 3-8 in the last 11 games on the road 

NY Rangers:

  • 20-10 in the last 30 games at home  

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Rangers Pick 

The Rangers are on the verge of elimination, and I’m expecting them to show some pride after yielding seven goals in each of their previous two meetings with the Penguins. New York should be way more aggressive, and with Louis Domingue between the pipes on the other side of the ice, the Rangers would stand a chance of forcing Game 6 in Pittsburgh. 

The Penguins will be fired up to finish the job, but the Rangers can only play better than they did in Games 3 and 4. It’s a tough wager given what happened in Pittsburgh, but I’m backing the Rangers to win. 

Pick: Take New York Rangers at -135               

The Total:

After a couple of proper high-scoring affairs, I’m looking for six or fewer goals in this one. Igor Shesterkin has a lot to prove, and the Rangers need to slow things down and be more physical in this matchup. 

The Penguins are a top-notch defensive bunch as well. Back in the regular season, Pittsburgh was yielding 2.71 goals per game (5th in the NHL) while posting the third-best penalty-killing percentage of 84.4. 

Pick: Go under 6.5 goals at -120