The Buffalo Sabres spent a ton of money on off-season acquisitions in order to bolster their lineup and become a legitimate contender in the Eastern conference this season. The New York Rangers invested nearly all of their money in just one. Coming out of the All Star break, Brad Richards and the Rangers are alone at the top of the East, two points ahead of the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins. Meanwhile, their next sports betting opponent is struggling just to remain in contention, as the Sabres sit dead-last in the conference with 45 points.
New York Rangers @ Buffalo Sabres
Wednesday February 1, 2011 – 7:30 PM ET
First Niagara Center, Buffalo, New York
NHL Sportsbook Line: New York Rangers – 110
The additions of Christian Ehrhoff, Ville Leino, and Robyn Regehr haven’t panned out the way that fans in Buffalo would have hoped, and now head coach Lindy Ruff has to figure out a way to maximize his team’s potential and turn things around. The Sabres play a crucial back-to-back against the Montreal Canadiens and Rangers coming out of the break, and anything less than four points will be a disappointment.
Rangers Sabres Betting Preview: New York Rangers
Whether it is the boost they received from constantly being under the HBO 24.7 cameras or just the perfect blend of size and speed combined with excellent goaltending, the Rangers have emerged as one of the league’s most consistent teams this season. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist remains one of the top goalie’s in the NHL with a 1.87 goals against average, and his teammates are playing excellent hockey in front of him as New York ranks second in goals against. Offensive stars like Marian Gaborik and Richards have the Rangers on the verge of cracking the top-10 in average goals as well, and they will look to pick up from right where they left off coming out of the break.
Rangers Sabres Betting Preview: Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres can learn a lot from the Rangers, especially considering that they have a lot of the same pieces to be just as good. Ryan Miller is one year removed from the best season of his career, and while the concussion he suffered earlier in the season may be playing a part in it, he is still a top talent. Buffalo has a ton of offensive talent on its back end, particularly with Ehrhoff, and could be much better than 14th in the NHL on the powerplay. Jason Pominville leads the Sabres in scoring with 47 points, but the Sabres will need more help from their depth scorers in order to be competitive night in and night out.
Rangers Sabres Betting Preview: Outlook & Pick
While the Rangers have to travel to Buffalo, it isn’t far from New Jersey and both teams play the night before, so the schedule shouldn’t be much of a factor in this game. New York has been the more complete and more determined team all season, and that won’t change coming out of the break as New York looks to lock up the top spot in the East, beginning as best sportsbook favorites in this matchup of in-state rivals.
Rangers Sabres Betting Pick: New York Rangers