Prediction: St Louis Blues VS New York Rangers 2025-11-24
Rangers vs. Blues: A Tale of Sieves, Goalies, and the Pursuit of Not Being St. Louis
The New York Rangers (-143) are favored to dismantle the St. Louis Blues (+120) in a matchup that’s as much about defense as it is about not being St. Louis. Let’s break this down with the precision of a Zamboni and the humor of a penguin in a hockey mask.
Parsing the Odds: Why the Rangers Are the "Slightly Less Disappointing" Choice
The Rangers’ implied probability of winning (59.1%) is nearly double the Blues’ (45.5%), thanks to their superior defense and Igor Shesterkin’s ability to look like a human flywall. While both teams are offensively anemic (Rangers: 2.5 GPG, Blues: 2.7 GPG), the Blues’ defense is a sieve that would make a colander blush. They allow 3.6 goals per game—3.6!—which is like leaving your front door unlocked and then complaining about burglars. The Rangers, meanwhile, limit opponents to 2.6 GPG, a stat that’s less “impressive” and more “meh, at least it’s not St. Louis.”
The puck line (-1.5) and total goals (5.5) also scream “Over and Rangers cover.” Why? Because the Blues have exceeded 5.5 goals in all eight games this season—a feat that’s less “scoring explosion” and more “mathematical inevitability.”
Digesting the News: Injuries, Recent Form, and Why Buchnevich Is a Plot Device
The Rangers are missing Matthew Rempe and two other upper-body-injured players, but Artemi Panarin (20 points) and Shesterkin (2.53 GAA) are healthy. Shesterkin, who once stopped a puck with his helmet in a 2021 playoff game, is the team’s emotional anchor. As for the Blues? They’re fully healthy, but their lack of a shutout this season suggests their defense is about as reliable as a toddler with a flashlight.
Recent results don’t help St. Louis: They edged the Islanders 2-1 on goals from Schenn and Suter, but Pavel Buchnevich’s assist was the game’s most exciting moment. Meanwhile, the Rangers lost to the Avalanche but have adjusted their top six, giving J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad a second-line shot at redemption.
The Humor: Sieve Metaphors and Goalie Jabs
Let’s be real: The Blues’ defense is a character in this story. Their 3.6 GPG average is so bad, it’s like they hired a team of comedians to play defense. One guy trips over his own skates, another “accidentally” screens the goalie with a full-body tackle, and Jordan Binnington (3.1 GAA) has to save pucks that are already halfway past him.
The Rangers? They’re the anti-fun. Shesterkin, the “Russian Wall,” has a save percentage (.880) that’s less “elite” and more “meh, it works.” Their offense is a toaster in a bakery—present, but useless—but at least their defense isn’t actively sabotaging them.
Prediction: Rangers Win, Over 5.5 Goals, and a Puck Line Cover
The Rangers’ superior defense and Shesterkin’s “meh, at least it’s not 5-1” reliability give them a 60% chance to win. The Blues’ offensive spark (2.7 GPG) will flicker against New York’s porous but not entirely incompetent defense, leading to a 4-2 final. The Over 5.5 goals is a lock, because when St. Louis plays, the puck tends to wander into the net like it’s on a caffeine buzz.
Final Score Prediction: Rangers 4, Blues 2. Bet the Rangers -1.5 and Over 5.5, unless you enjoy the thrill of watching Buchnevich score a hat trick while the Blues’ defense pretends to be somewhere else.
Note: This analysis assumes the Rangers’ upper-body-injured players don’t suddenly reappear as sentient pucks. No circuses were harmed in the writing of this article.
Created: Nov. 24, 2025, 5:44 a.m. GMT