The betting public believes that the New York Rangers will win the Stanley Cup as the Broadway Blueshirts opened as a 9/2 betting favorite. The Rangers were followed by the Chicago Blackhawks at 11/2, St. Louis Blues at 17/2, Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning at 9/1, Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild.
And Nashville Predators at 10/1, New York Islanders at 14/1, Pittsburgh Penguins at 18/1, Washington Capitals at 20/1, Detroit Red Wings at 22/1, Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks at 50/1 and the Winnipeg Jets at 60/1.
Eastern Conference
The Rangers opened as a prohibitive 2/1 choice to repeat as Eastern Conference champions with Montreal and Tampa Bay at 15/4, the Islanders at 15/2, Pittsburgh at 9/1, Detroit at 10/1, Washington at 12/1, and Ottawa at 25/1.
Western Conference
Despite missing Patrick Kane, the Chicago Blackhawks opened as a 11/5 choice to win the Western Conference with Anaheim and St. Louis at 4/1, Minnesota at 5/1, Nashville at 5/1, Calgary and Vancouver at 25/1, and Winnipeg at 30/1.
Public Perception Drives Odds
The fact that the Blackhawks are the top choice in the Western Conference is a classic case of how the betting public drives the odds rather than the tired old cliché of the numbers being about, “What Vegas thinks.”
Chicago is missing Kane, their top scorer, and has fallen to a rank of 17th for goals scored and 19th on the power play. But because of their large fan following and reputation as a two-time Stanley Cup champion since 2010, the Hawks continue to draw plenty of betting action their way.
Capital Gains?
The team that looks most promising at bringing top value and a legitimate shot at the Stanley Cup are the Washington Capitals. Washington finished well with six wins in their final nine games and will face a reeling New York Islanders team that limped to the finish line with six losses in their last nine games.
Washington and superstar left wing and team captain Alex Ovechkin showed dramatic improvement in playing a complete game under first-year head coach Barry Trotz. Trotz coaxed Ovechkin and the Caps to take care of the backcheck, and this emphasis on defense had the ripple effect of creating more offense and balance. The Caps finished seventh in the NHL for both goals scored and goals against.
Ovechkin had what many observers believed to be his best season ever and will be a favorite to win the Hart Trophy as NHL Most Valuable Player. The Great Eight finished with 53 goals, 28 assists, and a plus-10. Ovechkin lit the lamp 25 times on the power play, which sparked the Caps to an overall ranking of first in the NHL for power play efficiency.
Another key component to the potential of a deep Stanley Cup run for the Caps is goaltender Braden Holtby. Holtby had a career year with a .923 save percentage, nine shutouts, and a 2.22 goals against average. Most importantly, Holtby has earned the confidence of his teammates and coaching staff that was not there before.
With unheralded but dependable Nicklas Backstrom at center, defensemen John Carlson and Mike Green, Washington has key components to go with the coaching of Trotz to make for a dangerous value underdog that can win it all.
High Note for Blues?
Will this year finally be the year for the St. Louis Blues? The Blues finished second in the Western Conference standings by away of tie breaker with the Anaheim Ducks and look deeper and tougher than ever before. Right wing Vladimir Tarasenko looks to be the finisher that the Blues lacked in last year’s playoff failure against Chicago. Tarasenko finished with 37 goals and 36 assists with a plus-27 and was often dominant.
The Blues defense corps is one of the best in the game with Alex Pietrangelo, Kevin Shattenkirk, Barret Jackman, and Jay Bouwmeester.
The elephant in the room remains goaltenders Brian Elliott and Jake Allen. Elliott was an All-Star this season and was putting together a career year before a horrific slump that found him on the bench for much of the stretch run. Elliott had a save percentage of .845 in his last five games to re-open concerns about his ability to withstand playoff pressure.
