The NHL returned from their All-Star break this week after a weekend of exciting festivities. Now it is back to business as there are 24 days until the trade deadline and teams will be looking to make moves for the stretch run.
All eyes are on the defending Stanley Cup champions right now as the Pittsburgh Penguins appear to be making their move. While they’ve mostly been a bit of a disappointment this season, they could be ready to make their charge. They have won four straight games and are now 8-2-0 in their last 10 games.
In the West, it’s the Las Vegas Knights who continue to be the lead story. They have now amassed 72 points on the season, which is incredible considering they are an expansion team. Let’s take a look at this week’s power rankings. as a reminder, the teams are sorted in order of their odds to win the Stanley Cup.
1. Tampa Bay Lightning
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +525
The Lightning (35-13-3) lost at Winnipeg, but won in Calgary. They’ll continue on the road in Vancouver and Edmonton, and then they’ll host Vancouver. Alex Killhorn had a big game in the 7-4 win in Calgary as he had a pair of goals to go with two assists. Also following the All-Star break, defenseman Victor Hedman returned to the lineup after missing five games with a lower-body injury. Having the Norris Trophy candidate back is a huge boost to Tampa Bay.
2. Vegas Golden Knights
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +800
The Golden Knights (34-12-4) won in Calgary and Winnipeg (the latter was in overtime), and they’ll stay on the road this week as they visit Minnesota, Washington, Pittsburgh and San Jose. Marc-Andre Fleury came back from the break ready to go as he stopped 31 shots against Calgary and then 26 shots against Winnipeg. If you think the Golden Knights are a fluke, think again.
3. Boston Bruins
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +900
The Bruins (30-11-8) lost to Anaheim and beat St. Louis, both at home. They’ll host Toronto next, followed by trips to Detroit and New York to take on the Rangers. Tuukka Rask continues to be incredible for the Bruins as he stopped 32 shots against St. Louis and he is now 17-0-2 in his last 19 games. Meanwhile, Brad Marchand will be eligible to return on February 7th after a five-game suspension for elbowing.
4. Nashville Predators
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +900
The Predators (30-12-7) lost to Chicago and then shut out Los Angeles, both at home. They’ll host the Rangers, and then visit the New York Islanders, Toronto and Ottawa. The 5-0 win over Los Angeles was a total team effort as Pekka Rinne only needed to stop 19 shots in the win. Also, the Predators have convinced former captain Mike Fisher to come out of retirement and play the rest of the season to add some veteran depth and experience.
5. Winnipeg Jets
Stanley Cup Odds: +1200
The Jets (30-13-9) beat Tampa Bay and lost to Vegas in overtime, and both games were at home. The Jets will stay home to host Colorado and Arizona this week. Starting with the win over Tampa Bay, the Jets will play their next 10 games at home, where they are 18-3-2. Winnipeg won’t have a better chance to pick up some points and possibly leap to the top of the league.
6. Washington Capitals
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +1250
The Capitals (30-15-5) won at home over Philadelphia, then they’ll head to Pittsburgh and go back home for Vegas before starting a home-and-home with Columbus. The Capitals beat the Flyers 5-3 in their return from the All-Star break as Chandler Stephenson had a pair of goals and Braden Holtby stopped 27 shots. The Capitals scored two more goals on the power play, where they have scored on six of their last 15 chances.
7. Toronto Maple Leafs
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +1300
The Maple Leafs (30-18-5) had back-to-back shutouts after returning from the break, first at home over the Islanders and then in New York over the Rangers. They’ll head to Boston and then kick off a five-game homestand with Anaheim and Nashville. Frederik Anderson stopped 28 shots for the shutout in a 5-0 win over the Rangers, and then Curtis McElhinney made 25 saves in a 4-0 win over the Rangers. The Maple Leafs are banged up on the blue line as Ron Hainsey and Roman Polak are out with illnesses, and Morgan Reilly has an upper-body injury. They’re off to a good start after the break, however.
8. St. Louis Blues
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +1600
The Blues (31-19-3) won at home over Montreal and then lost in Boston, and they’ll visit Buffalo before hosting Minnesota and Colorado. Jake Allen returned for the first time since January 9th as he made 43 of 45 saves against Boston, which is admirable. However, Carter Hutton is probably going to be the #1 goalie in St. Louis for a while as he played very well in Allen’s absence. Still, it is definitely a situation that is worth keeping an eye on.
9. New Jersey Devils
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +1700
The Devils (26-16-8) won in Buffalo and then again at home over Philadelphia. They’ll host Pittsburgh, then head to Ottawa, then it is back on the road to Ottawa before hosting Calgary. Keith Kincaid looks to be back in as the #1 goalie for the Devils as Cory Schneider’s groin injury has flared up. Kincaid stopped 28 shots against Buffalo and then another 25 shots against Philadelphia. While he has been up and down as of late, Kincaid is a solid backup while Schneider is out. The question is, if Schneider is out for a while, can Kincaid hold on to the #1 spot?
10. Pittsburgh Penguins
NHL Stanley Cup Odds: +1800
The Penguins (28-21-3) won at home over San Jose, and they’ll stay home to host Washington before heading to New Jersey and then it is back home to host Vegas. Evgeni Malkin has six goals and two assists in his last five games overall, while Matt Murray is back between the pipes as he has been out since January 7th due to the death of his father. Casey DeSmith did well in his absence and he had allowed eight goals in his last five games with a save percentage of .941. However, the Penguins need Murray to be back to the goalie who helped them to last year’s Stanley Cup and hopefully, they can rally around the 23-year-old.
The 2017-18 NHL season is heading down the home stretch. Keep an eye on the odds to win the Stanley Cup as they are constantly change. Click here to get the latest hockey lines from BetDSI, including moneylines, totals, props and futures!
