The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are just around the corner as round one starts the first week of May. In order to win the cup, you must win a total of sixteen grueling games during the next four weeks. The Tampa Bay Lighting are currently the defending cup champions as they went back to back in 2020 and 2021.
The 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs are going to be very intense this season as there is loads of pressure on several teams. Will Tampa three Pete? Will the Leafs make it out of the first round? Will the Avalanche’s regular-season success carry over? No one knows the answers to these questions, but we will find out very soon as the playoffs start this week. Let’s check the 2022 Stanley Cup Winners Contenders Odds below.
2022 Stanley Cup Winners Contenders Odds
The NHL picks is loaded with several juggernauts this season, but only one will hoist the cup at the end. Many teams showed dominance in the regular season, but I am unsure if it will show in the postseason. The four teams that I would choose to win the cup are the Florida Panthers, the Colorado Avalanche, the Calgary Flames, and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Florida Panthers are having a phenomenal season as they have clinched first place in the tight Atlantic Division with 122 points. The Panthers are rolling into the playoffs as they have obtained a 16-4-0 record in their last twenty games. The Panther’s biggest strength this season has been their explosive offense. The Panthers have scored the most goals in the NHL, with 337 goals in 82 games played. The Panthers are averaging an absurd 4.1 goals per game this season. The team also has an excellent defense and has no issues in the net between Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight, who have both obtained a .907 save percentage this season. This season, the Panthers have so much depth between Jonathan Huberdeau, Alexander Barkov, and Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers are a team that should not be taken lightly this postseason.
The Colorado Avalanche are having a great season as they finished the season in first place in the Central Division with 119 points. NHL betting stats show that The Avalanche have one of the top offensive lines in the league, and I believe they have a great chance of hoisting the cup this season. The Avalanche’s strongest asset this season has also been their offense. The Avalanche offense ranks fourth in the NHL as they have scored 308 goals this season in 82 games played, averaging 3.8 goals per game. The team also has a solid defense, but their biggest improvement has been their goaltending. Darcy Kuemper this season has been a brick wall as he recorded a .921 save percentage and a 2.54 GAA. The Avalanche’s goaltending has struggled in the playoffs in recent years, but I see no problems this time around. The Avalanche’s top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Gabriel Landeskog has been explosive this season, and I see these three dominating this playoff. This season, NHL picks the Avalanche as a true cup contender as their goaltending has improved dramatically.
The Calgary Flames are having a breakout season as they have clinched first place in the Pacific Division with 111 points. The Flames have one of the best defenses in the league, and with Jacob Markstrom in the net, I see them being very tough to play against in the playoffs. The Flame’s defense this season has let up the third least amount of goals in league with 206 as they average a low 2.37 goals against per game. Jacob Markstrom has also been a massive reason for the team’s success as he has obtained an outstanding .922 save percentage and a 2.22 GAA this season. Markstrom has also recorded nine shutouts this season. The Flames also have a solid offense between Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk, and Elias Lindholm. The Flames are tough to play against, and I believe their defense will make the difference this postseason.
This season, the Tampa Bay Lighting is solid as they sit in third place in the Atlantic Division with 110 points. The Lighting are the defending back-to-back Cup champions, so it is pretty tough not to include them on this list. The Lightning are still a solid, well-rounded team, but their biggest strength has been their defense this season. The Lightning sit in seventh place in the league for the least number of goals scored this season with 228 in 82 games, averaging 2.59 goals against per game. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has contributed significantly to the defense as he has obtained a solid .916 save percentage and a 2.49 GAA this season. The team also has a solid offense with Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, and Brayden Point. The Lightning’s biggest advantage is going to be their experience from the two previous seasons, as they know what it takes to win games in the playoffs.
2022 NHL Stanley Cup Favorites Betting Trends
- Florida Panthers +425
- Colorado Avalanche +350
- Calgary Flames +750
- Tampa Bay Lighting +1100
Conclusion
The 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on May 2nd, and I believe this year is going to be the most exciting playoffs yet. Put in your NHL betting odds now! Will the Avalanche’s regular-season success carry over? Will Jacob Markstrom lead the Flames to victory? Will the Florida Panther’s offense stay hot? Will the Tampa Bay Lighting three-peat? The answers to these questions can only be answered this week because it’s the cup.
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