The NHL playoffs are rolling through the first round, with some favorites handling their business and others facing increasingly long Stanley Cup odds.
The Carolina Hurricanes have impressed, while the top two teams in the regular season (the Winnipeg Jets and Washington Capitals) both lead their respective series 2-0. The Florida Panthers are only one game into their postseason, but the defending champs showed their class in a 6-2 Game 1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Elsewhere, teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs have looked more solid than expected, while the Colorado Avalanche are now in for some scrutiny after two consecutive overtime losses to the Dallas Stars.
Here are power rankings for the NHL playoffs, including the latest odds to win the Stanley Cup:
NHL playoff odds: Power ranking all 16 teams
Favorites
No. 1 Carolina Hurricanes (+500)
No. 2 Winnipeg Jets (+700)
No. 3t Florida Panthers (+750)
No. 3t. Toronto Maple Leafs (+750)
Bookmakers have been impressed with the Carolina Hurricanes, who have vaulted up to the status of favorites after opening their series against the New Jersey Devils with convincing wins. The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets are in a similar state, though their 2-0 series edge over the St. Louis Blues has been a bit harder to secure.
It’s much the same for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have seen their odds reduced after gaining a 2-0 lead in their series against the Ottawa Senators. Finally, the Florida Panthers’ odds are unchanged after opening their series against the Tampa Bay Lightning with a resounding 6-2 win.
Contenders
No. 5t Dallas Stars (+850)
No. 5t: Washington Capitals (+850)
No. 7 Los Angeles Kings (+900)
No. 8 Vegas Golden Knights (+950)
The Washington Capitals have held on for two narrow wins in their series with the Montréal Canadiens, narrowing their Stanley Cup odds slightly in the eyes of bookmakers. The Dallas Stars, who have impressed in gaining a 2-1 series lead over the Colorado Avalanche after three games, have held strong in the contender tier, while the Vegas Golden Knights have seen their odds grow slightly longer after splitting the opening two games of their best-of-seven battle with the Minnesota Wild.
The real mover is the Los Angeles Kings, who were +2000 before their series against the Edmonton Oilers got going. With the Kings having scored six goals and won each of the first two games of that series, their odds have been slashed.
Off to a rocky start
No. 9 Colorado Avalanche (+1050)
No. 10 Tampa Bay Lightning (+1600)
No. 11 Edmonton Oilers (+2500)
No. 12 Minnesota Wild (+4000)
The Avalanche started the postseason with odds that would have placed them in the favorites tier, but their odds now reflect the reality that they trail Dallas 2-1 after three games. The Lightning, after being routed by the Panthers in Game 1, have gone from +1100 to +1600, while the Oilers’ chances have grown somewhat remote after two discouraging losses to Los Angeles.
Minnesota, after evening their series with Vegas with a 5-2 win in game 2, have unchanged odds from last week.
Long shots needing some playoff magic
No. 13t Ottawa Senators (+10000)
No. 13t St. Louis Blues (+10000)
No. 15t New Jersey Devils (+15000)
No. 15t Montreal Canadiens (+15000)
All four of these teams have 2-0 series deficits. leaving oddsmakers pessimistic about their hopes. Ottawa at least forced overtime against Toronto in Game 2, while Montreal has taken Washington down to the wire as that series heads to Quebec.
On the other hand, New Jersey has had no answers without Jack Hughes (shoulder surgery), and St. Louis has had trouble even getting shots on Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, much less winning games.