The NHL regular season is coming to a close and the playoff picture is starting to take shape. With that have emerged some solid contenders in the chase for the ultimate prize in hockey. The 2014-15 NHL Stanley Cup Championship Odds are led by the New York Rangers, the second overall seed in the Eastern Conference.
New York has been a very good club all season, but the play of the New York Islanders has also been impressive. Both are currently seeded inside the top five spots in the Eastern Conference and could meet in the playoffs at some point. Montreal is sitting atop the East with 102 points for the season, just one more than the Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning have for the campaign.
And with just a few weeks left in the regular season, all three of those teams have already clinched a spot in the playoffs. Anaheim and Nashville in the Western Conference also have playoff spots locked up, both having over 100 points for the season.
Last year's Stanley Cup winners, the Los Angeles Kings, are in a serious fight for the eighth and final spot in the West. The Kings have just 88 points on the season and trail the Winnipeg Jets by two full points in the standings with only six games left. Winning on the road has proven to be a problem for LA this season as the Kings have a record of 15-16-7 away from their own building. It could prove to be a big reason they miss the playoffs, and they have lost two straight games as well.
This year has been a fun one to watch for the NHL with teams switching conferences and the Western Conference being very competitive from the beginning. Only two teams in the West have been eliminated from playoff contention (Edmonton, Arizona) while the East has already knocked out five teams. Both the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers are fighting for the eighth and final spot in the East, which is currently being held by the Boston Bruins.
Below are the current odds to win the Stanley Cup Finals this season, courtesy of BetOnline.
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Anaheim Ducks |
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+1000 |
|
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Boston Bruins |
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+2000 |
|
|
Calgary Flames |
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+2800 |
|
|
Chicago Blackhawks |
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+800 |
|
|
Detroit Red Wings |
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+1600 |
|
|
Florida Panthers |
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+10000 |
|
|
Los Angeles Kings |
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+1600 |
|
|
Minnesota Wild |
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+1200 |
|
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Montreal Canadiens |
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+1000 |
|
|
Nashville Predators |
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+1400 |
|
|
New York Islanders |
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+1400 |
|
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New York Rangers |
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+700 |
|
|
Ottawa Senators |
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+6600 |
|
|
Pittsburgh Penguins |
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+1200 |
|
|
St. Louis Blues |
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+1000 |
|
|
Tampa Bay Lightning |
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+1000 |
|
|
Vancouver Canucks |
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+2200 |
|
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Washington Capitals |
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+2500 |
|
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Winnipeg Jets |
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+3300 |
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