By Nick Savage & Lewy
As the NHL regular season draws to a close, many fans and bettors are already looking ahead to the Stanley Cup playoffs and placing their bets on which team will come out on top. Only Players took a closer look at the top five teams in the league right now and their odds to win the Stanley Cup Championship.
Boston Bruins (+330)
The Bruins have been one of the most consistent teams in the league this season, currently sitting atop the East Division standings. Led by veteran players such as Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, the Bruins have a solid mix of offensive firepower and defensive prowess, and will be looking to make a deep playoff run to capture their first Stanley Cup since 2011.
Colorado Avalanche (+650)
The Avalanche have been one of the most dominant teams in the West Division this season, boasting a league-leading +55 goal differential. Superstar Nathan MacKinnon lads his team as one of the league’s top scorers this season. With a strong supporting cast and a solid goaltender in Philipp Grubauer, the Avalanche will be a tough team to beat in the playoffs.
Edmonton Oilers (+800)
The Oilers have been powered by the dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who are currently first and second in the league in scoring, respectively. However, the Oilers’ success has largely been dependent on their offense, as their defense and goaltending have been inconsistent at times. If they can shore up their defensive play, the Oilers could be a serious contender in the playoffs.
Toronto Maple Leafs (+900)
The Maple Leafs have been one of the most talented teams in the league this season, with a potent offense led by Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. However, the team has struggled in the playoffs in recent years, failing to make it out of the first round since 2004. If they can overcome their playoff struggles, the Maple Leafs have the talent to go all the way.
Carolina Hurricanes (+1100)
The Hurricanes have been a surprise team this season, with a strong all-around game and a deep roster. The offense is led by Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov, while anchored by Dougie Hamilton and Jaccob Slavin. If they can continue their strong play in the playoffs, the Hurricanes could be a dark horse to win the Stanley Cup.
Of course, these odds are subject to change as the playoffs approach and teams make their final push for the postseason. But for now, these five teams look to be the top contenders for the Stanley Cup Championship. As always, bettors should do their research and consider all factors before placing their bets.
Best Round 1 Matchup by Lewy
Boston (Atlantic #1) vs Florida (Wild Card #2)
Let’s cut to the chase here, THE Rat vs. the RAT. Marchand vs Tkachuk. Oh man is this going to be GOOD! Marchand is second on the team in penalty minutes with 74, second on the team with 67 points (21G, 46A), and second on the team with nine Power Play goals. Tkachuk leads his team with 109 points (40G, 69A) — side note: Matthew has put up 40 goals in back-to-back seasons even after being traded from Calgary to Florida over the Summer — first on the team with 123pPenalty minutes and second on the team with 14 Power Play goals. So I’ll have to say that the NEW rat is better than the old Rat.
Florida and Boston played four times during the regular season and the home team prevailed each time. There’s been a lot of talk about how home ice doesn’t hold true anymore in the NHL, but I have to give Boston a huge edge having only lost four times in regulation in its own barn this season (Surprising Fact: Toronto and Tampa Bay aren’t far behind in home ice advantage with only eight regulation losses at home).
A key factor for Florida’s offense is its goal-scoring defense. The trio of Montour (16G), Ekblad (14G), and Forsling (13G) will be activated often and Boston will need to keep track of where it is when it’s on the ice. However, with those defenders not on the blue line, it’s no surprise when I tell you that Florida’s Goals Against was the twelveth worst in the league and has the worst average amongst the playoff teams. Offensively, Sam Reinhart played a major role in each of the four games against Boston along with Tkachuk and the ever-dangerous Carter Verhaeghe. Panther players, Sam Bennett and Aleks Barkov need to step up if Florida is going to have a chance to play spoilers. Eetu Luostarinen was a nice surprise as he moved up the lineup throughout the season and he has benefited from being on the second line with Tkachuk. Alex Lyon gets the starting nod in the series which is a surprise and a bonus as he’s 1-0 vs. Boston this year. He looked composed and solid in his home win.
I’d have to say that Boston has the most pressure here. The Bruins went 65-12-5, they ran away with the President’s Trophy, and dominated most of the season. Boston holds the league’s best Goals Against and the second best Goals For. In the four games this season versus Florida, no one Bruin stood out; the goal scoring was distributed throughout the lines with Pasta consistently adding a goal and assist here and there. DeBrusk, Bergeron, and Marchand will obviously be constant threats, and much like the Panthers it will be important for role players like Taylor Hall, David Krejci, and Pavel Zacha to make their presence known. Not surprisingly, Boston’s defense outside of Charlie McAvoy consists of basically stay-at-home players, hence the outstanding goals against average. The late addition of Garnet Hathaway provides some interesting flavor to the lineup and it will be fun to see how he interacts with Florida’s tough guy Ryan Lomberg. Linus Ullmark will be in the net for the Bruins after a 40-win regular season and he played in both home wins during the series, however, he gave up three goals in each game, so is that enough to create some questions.
All Boston has to do is keep being Boston, that’s it. Florida really controls whether it can make this a series. I believe that Florida can win in Boston and I wouldn’t be surprised if it did it early, the real challenge will be holding serve in Florida after the upset. If the Panthers can lead the series 2-1 going into Game 4 they could continue the craziness of March Madness into the Stanley Cup! I’m going to take the Florida Panthers, as the biggest dogs in the first round, at +250 in six games.
Photo credit: Shutterstock
