Updated 2018 Stanley Cup Odds – May 21st Edition

The Vegas Golden Knights took a step closer to expansion team history this weekend, as they eliminated the Winnipeg Jets, 4 games to 1, in the Western Conference Final — a series in which the Jets won the opener but then took four straight losses. Tampa Bay lost the first two games of their series against Washington but have beaten the Caps three times in a row, now, and have Washington on the brink of elimination. Take a look at the updated 2018 Stanley Cup odds for each of the remaining contenders to lift the trophy at the end of the NHL postseason, along with our opinions about each team.

Updated 2018 Stanley Cup Odds – May 21st Edition

Team picture time! #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/JUSbgQFtA0

— NHL (@NHL) May 21, 2018

• Tampa Bay Lightning                                               21/20
• Vegas Golden Knights                                             21/20
• Washington Capitals                                                            9/1

How about the Vegas Golden Knights? I’ve picked against them in each of their first three series in the postseason, but they just keep winning. They are the third expansion team to make a Stanley Cup final, but the first two had some extenuating factors. In 1918, the Toronto Arenas were an expansion team — but so was the entire league. In 1968, the St. Louis Blues were an expansion team — but so was the entire West Division, so an expansion team was guaranteed to make the final. So when Vegas advanced, it was as the only expansion team in the league to do so. The Golden Knights are 12-3 in the postseason so far, having swept the Kings, beaten the Sharks in six and then the Jets in five. Marc-Andre Fleury, who had shown some signs of leakage early in the series, stopped 31 shots in Game Five, and they got the go-ahead score from Ryan Reaves — a player from the fourth line, no less, and a symbol of this no-name Vegas team who are steamrolling toward the Cup. The Jets simply did not have enough to get through the Golden Knights’ defensive attack, wasting a 30-save effort from Connor Hellebuyck. We keep reading about how the Washington Capitals are letting chance after chance slip away against the Tampa Bay Lightning, The Caps went down to Tampa after eliminating the Pittsburgh Penguins and won the first two games but have seem Tampa Bay up their game on both ends of the ice to take the next three. Game Five was typical of this progression, as Washington came out flat and saw Tampa Bay build up a 3-0 lead. Then, Washington decided to shift gears and roared back, but Alex Ovechkin’s goal that brought the Caps back within 3-2 came too late, with just 1:36 left in regulation. A loss for Washington would be historic, because in the last 50 years, only 21 teams have won the first two games of a conference final or a Stanley Cup Final on the road…and all 21 teams have gone on to win those series — and none of those series even went to a Game Seven. So whether Washington continues their collapse or comes back to win, they will make history with this series. The Lightning have combined pressure defense with opportunistic offense in their three wins in this series. In Game Five, they found the back of the net twice in the first period, while limiting the Capitals to four shots, three by defensemen. The only shot by a forward was a wrist shot by T.J. Oshie that sailed to the net from about 55 feet away. The Capitals did control play in the second and third periods (well, most of the second period, as the Lightning scored their third goal 33 seconds into the second frame), but we’re looking at a team that waits too late to turn on the gas. Remember, they went down 0-2 in their opening series against the wild-card Columbus Blue Jackets. If the Capitals are going to win Game Six at home, they have to put together a strong opening period.