We’re at the business end of North America’s NHL season with the start of the play-offs this week. Sixteen teams are still in the race for the Stanley Cup but some familiar names are missing from the line-up. Detroit rarely miss out post-season but have this year and there is no Dallas or Florida either.
Stanley Cup NHL Play-Off History
The NHL has always used a play-off tournament to determine its final two. The make up of the play-offs has changed over the years, from the league’s inception in 1917 when ownership of the Stanley Cup was shared between different leagues, to when the NHL took over the Cup in 1926, to the current setup today. But the premise remains the same – the winners of the Eastern Conference will eventually meet the winners of the Western Conference in a seven-match series to determine who lifts the coveted Stanley Cup.
Montreal Canadiens are the most successful side in regular season having reached the play-offs on 85 occasions. Boston Bruins have the next-best record followed by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Unfortunately, the Canadian teams don’t have such a good record of going on to win the Stanley Cup, named after a former governor-general of Canada, with the Canadiens the last team from north of the border to go on and win the NHL title and that was in 1993.
The Chicago Blackhawks have won the Stanley Cup twice in the last four years and three times since 2010. The Blackhawks are a best 11/2 to win the Stanley Cup this year and still have a core of players who knows what it takes to navigate through the play-offs, including Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. They should easily brush aside the Nashville Predators in round one and no-one will be surprised if they go all the way.
Holders Pittsburgh Penguins are rivalling Washington Capitals and the Blackhawks for favouritism (7/1 with Ladbrokes) and have the NHL’s regular season top scorer in Sidney Crosby. However, they look deficient in other areas with key defenseman Kris Letang unlikely to take any part in the play-offs. Forwards Chris Kunitz and Carl Hagelin aren’t expected to start the first round and Evgeni Malkin is also struggling so they may not be much value.
The Capitals are a best 5/1 having won the President’s Trophy, awarded to the team with the best regular season record, for the second year running. But they went out in the second round of the play-offs last season.
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The Anaheim Ducks won a fifth straight Pacific Division title but their tendency to throw away leads in play-off series will be off-putting for anyone considering a bet at 16/1. If there is going to be a shock – and they aren’t uncommon when it comes to the play-offs – then you could do worse than take a second look at the San Jose Sharks.
The Sharks are 18/1 with Ladbrokes to win the Stanley Cup but are a potential fly in the ointment if star Brent Burns decides he’s in the mood, though they would probably need Joe Thornton fully fit throughout to go all the way.
Stanley Cup Outright Current Best Odds
Washington Capitals (5/1), Chicago Blackhawks (11/2), Pittsburgh Penguins (7/1), Minnesota Wild (15/2), Columbus Bluejackets (10/1), Montreal Canadiens (13/1), New York Rangers (14/1), Anaheim Ducks (16/1), Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sharks (18/1), Ottawa Senators (25/1), Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators and St Louis Blues (28/1), Toronto Maple Leafs (33/1)
