Welcome to another addition of NHL Predictions with us here at Last Word On Hockey. The New York Rangers head back on the road after a disappointing loss at home to the Detroit Red Wings. New York heads to Vegas first to take on the Golden Knights, who have had a rough go of it after starting the season strong.
NHL Predictions: New York Rangers vs Vegas Golden Knights
2025-26 Season Series: First game this season (2024-25 Rangers 2-0 Golden Knights)
How To Watch TV: ESPN+, Fubo, MSG, KMCC
Time: 10:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Location: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
Will Golden Knights Rebound against Rangers?
The Golden Knights have lost five of their last six games, although three of those losses came in overtime. Vegas started out the year on fire, winning five of their first seven games. Since then, inconsistent goaltending has been the bane of the Golden Knights so far. Akira Schmid has been the best of the three goalies that have been in the net so far this season, winning seven of the 10 games he’s started. Even so, he has a save percentage of .900, which is around league average.
Vegas has a plethora of talented skaters, including Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner and Ivan Barbashev. Eichel has been one of the league’s best players to begin the season, scoring 24 points in 18 games. Marner, who was the story of the offseason after being traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs, has had a good start to the season as well, scoring 20 points in 18 games. However, injuries have limited them so far, with Mark Stone on long term injured reserve with an injured wrist. William Karlsson is injured as well and Alex Pietrangelo will be out the whole season. The Rangers are typically very good on the road, so this could be a good test for Vegas moving forward.
Rangers story
The Rangers just dropped a game to the Red Wings, and it showed the same concerns in the lack of offense the team has at home. New York only put up 19 shots, with Detroit putting up 42 shots. Jonathon Quick had a very impressive performance, but still lost. The frustration boiled over after Red Wings forward Mason Appleton shot the puck into an empty net after the final buzzer, and both benches cleared after Quick came off the bench to confront Appleton. New York now has to shake that loss off and get back up to snuff on the road.
OLD TIME HOCKEY!
Chaos erupts and the benches clear between the Rangers and Red Wings at the end of the game
19+
— PROLINE BC (@ProlineBC) November 17, 2025
At home, the Rangers have been brutal to watch, but the road is a complete separate story. New York has continued to win games on the road, and it’s only a matter of time for the team to get comfortable at home. The game against Detroit was a back-to-back, so exhaustion could have played a part in that loss. Mika Zibanejad is hot right now, scoring four points during a four game scoring streak. Panarin is on fire as well, the return of Vincent Trocheck igniting his offense. The question is if it will continue against Vegas.
Key Factors
For the Rangers, goaltending will be a big factor. Igor Shesterkin should get the start in net after having Sunday off, and the Russian netminder has always been the most important player for New York. If the offense falters, Shesterkin is always there to keep the game within reach. The Rangers powerplay in particular has been playing well, and that is another important factor for them. Keeping Vegas off the board in five-on-five and relying on their special teams will be the winning formula for the Rangers in this one.
On the other hand, the Golden Knights will rely on their five-on-five play to get ahead of the Rangers. Vegas will need to jump out of the gate hot and knock New York out of their style of play. Keeping out of the penalty box will be important as well. As mentioned, the Rangers have been playing well on the power play, and it will serve Vegas well to keep New York off the man advantage. Schmid will most likely start for Vegas, and the Golden Knights will do well to help him out as much as possible.
Prediction
Final score prediction: Golden Knights 4-2 Rangers
Vegas has been waiting for a bonce-back game, and the Rangers could provide just that. New York will be tired after coming off a long flight on Monday and a back-to-back over the weekend. The Rangers have been good on the road, but we think Vegas is just too good of a team to lose to a tired Rangers group.
Best Prop Bets
Expect Jack Eichel to get on the board for the Golden Knights. Eichel has had a good career against the Rangers, scoring 19 points in 20 games. With how on fire he’s been this season as well, Eichel should find his way on the scoreboard. Pavel Dorofeyev is an interesting player to watch, as he’s been on a cold streak lately after lighting the league on fire. Dorofeyev has scored three points in the last two games, and we would expect him to keep it up. For the Rangers, expect Vincent Trocheck to continue his strong return and he should find his way on the scoresheet in some capacity. J.T. Miller has been long due for a multi-point game, and we don’t see a player on the Vegas roster that can shut him down.
Main Photo Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
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The post NHL Predictions: November 18th New York Rangers vs Vegas Golden Knights appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.