Revised Stanley Cup Chances for Stars, Oilers, Panthers, and Hurricanes Ahead of Conference Finals
The National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs have narrowed down to four teams after the Florida Panthers sealed their victory over Toronto Maple Leafs in a decisive Game 7 on Sunday night. A rematch of the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals may be on the horizon, with the Panthers and Edmonton Oilers emerging as the co-favorites for this year's title according to sportbooks.
The Eastern Conference Finals will pit the Panthers against the Carolina Hurricanes, who had a convincing series win over the New York Rangers. Meanwhile, the Western Conference Finals will showcase a clash between the Dallas Stars and the Edmonton Oilers, both teams pushing hard to secure their respective conference titles and advance to the upcoming Stanley Cup Finals, set to commence on Tuesday.
According to current betting odds, the Panthers are slightly ahead, with Florida being the favorite at DraftKings, while the Oilers have been given the edge at both BetMGM and Bet365. These two teams had a memorable encounter in the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals, with the Florida Panthers securing a thrilling Game 7 victory, 2-1.
The versatile Florida Panthers are a force to be reckoned with, led by Brad Marchand, who has integrated well after his trade from Boston and has tallied 12 points in the playoffs so far. In addition, Sam Reinhart and Aleksander Barkov exhibit impressive two-way play, aiding in the team's recent success against the Maple Leafs. Florida demonstrated their edge over the Hurricanes in their regular-season meetings, winning two out of three and outscoring them 13-6. Furthermore, the Panthers have a steady presence between the pipes with Sergei Bobrovsky, who holds a .901 save percentage and a 2.31 goals against average in the playoffs.
Carolina Hurricanes aim to break their 18-year drought since their 2006 Stanley Cup triumph. The team boasts the hottest goalie left standing in the tournament, Frederik Andersen, who has a remarkable save percentage of .937 and a goals against average of 1.36. Furthermore, Fredrik Andersen has faced significantly fewer shots compared to the other remaining goalies in the playoffs. Andrei Svechnikov has been a standout performer for Carolina, notching eight goals during the playoffs, while Sebastian Aho continues to lead the Hurricanes with 74 points from the regular season.
The Edmonton Oilers' journey to the conference finals has been marked by some defensive issues in net. Despite the struggles of Stuart Skinner early in the playoffs, he has since regained his form and currently holds a save percentage of .884. The Oilers' offense, featuring Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, remains high-powered, with both players recording impressive point totals during the playoffs. However, their defense remains a concern as they vie for a chance to bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada.
Finally, Dallas Stars present themselves as an underrated contender due to their strong performances against Colorado Avalanche and the Presidents Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets. Mikko Rantanen has emerged as a key asset for the Stars since his trade from Colorado, contributing nine goals and ten assists in the playoffs so far. The Stars also boast a solid goaltender, Jake Oettinger, who has faced 394 shots and holds a respectable save percentage of .919. Dallas previously reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 2020 and last won the Cup in 1999.
With the conference finals set to commence, sportsbooks have updated odds on the 2023 Stanley Cup champion, offering various promotions and bonuses for new and existing users to engage in the excitement of the NHL playoffs.
- BetMGM and Bet365 have given the Edmonton Oilers an edge over the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup betting line, with the Panthers currently leading as the favorite at DraftKings.
- In the NHL's Eastern Conference Finals, the Florida Panthers, who had a decisive win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, will face the Carolina Hurricanes, who had a convincing series win over the New York Rangers.
- The Dallas Stars, who have demonstrated strong performances against the Colorado Avalanche and the Presidents Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets, are a contender in the Western Conference Finals.
