Most teams in the NHL have between three and five games remaining in their regular season, and the postseason picture is clearing up. The Dallas Stars have made a push to pass Nashville and swipe the fourth slot in the Central Division, but they blew a huge opportunity on Saturday night, losing 1-0 in overtime. Three teams are still alive in the Central Division, while Boston and the New York Rangers are vying for the last spot in the East — with the B’s up a comfortable eight points with two games in hand. Four teams are scrambling for one postseason spot in the West, while the North only has one team (Toronto) that has clinched a playoff berth at this writing.
Let’s look at the latest NHL betting odds for the teams that are still in contention for postseason berths to win the Stanley Cup, as well as some updated thoughts on some of the teams.
NHL News: Updated Stanley Cup Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Colorado Avalanche | +400 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +700 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +750 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +800 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | +1000 |
| Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals | +1200 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | +1400 |
| New York Islanders | +1600 |
| Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild | +2000 |
| Florida Panthers | +2200 |
| Montreal Canadiens, Winnipeg Jets | +2500 |
| Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators | +4000 |
| Arizona Coyotes | +8000 |
| New York Rangers | +12500 |
| Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings | +15000 |
| Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks | +20000 |
Vegas seems like the contender from last year most likely to show up motivated in this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs. A lot of that has to do with the play of Alex Pietrangelo, who came to the Golden Knights via free agency and has patrolled the blue line with diligence. He skates over 24 minutes per game, has tallied 18 points, and has shut down opposing scorers night in and night out.
Carolina will be even better once Jesper Fast returns. He has 18 points in 41 games. At times, he has been given top-line minutes, which is saying something given the talent through the top two scoring lines. This will be a challenging team to face in the postseason.
Colorado has gotten stellar play from Devon Toews since he came to town via trade. He has
Tallied 25 points in 46 games, putting up a 63.68% expected goals rate when skating five on five, adding even more energy to the top scoring line.
Tampa Bay has crept back up the power rankings for many observers, and one reason is the play of Ross Colton. While Steven Stamkos has been on the shelf, Colton has gotten some opportunities, and despite playing primarily on the third and fourth lines, he has eight goals and three assists in 26 games.
Toronto continues to excite Canadian fans ready to see the Cup go back north of the border this year. T.J. Brodie has come in to play a steadying role with the top defensive pairing, cutting back on the mistakes that his predecessors have made. Interestingly, two thirds of the even-strength goals that the Leafs have scored this season have come with Brodie on the ice.
Pittsburgh has enjoyed the play of Kasperi Kapanen, who has complemented Evgeni Malkin on the second scoring line nicely. Kapanen has put up 26 points in 36 games, and while Malkin recovers from injury, Kapanen has upped his own scoring contributions even more.
Florida is another solid team that will push opponents hard in the playoffs. Carter Verhaeghe has emerged as a dynamic scorer, third among the Panthers with 35 points in 42 contests.
Boston looks likely to grab that fourth playoff spot, and Taylor Hall coming to Beantown at the trade deadline has played a huge role. He has five goals and five assists in 11 games, as the former MVP looks to be back. He’s made their second scoring line a legitimate threat, which makes opposing coaches think about loading their shutdown defenders on the top Boston line at the same time.
NHL Betting Odds
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