After a record breaking campaign it’s Stanley Cup or bust for the Boston Bruins. Setting NHL records for wins and points in a season is great, but it means nothing if the ultimate prize isn’t acquired. The Bruins cruised through the regular season winning 65 games with only 12 regulation losses boasting the best defensive squad with the second-most goals scored. So I guess it isn’t surprising to see them as huge favorites to escape the rugged East. There is history to overcome for the Bruins to reach the Cup Final. The team with the highest point total hasn’t advanced past the second round since 2015 when the New York Rangers lost to Tampa Bay in the conference finals. The Lightning matched a then NHL record for wins during the 2018-19 season and was promptly swept in the first round.
Once the chase for Lord Stanley’s chalice begins anything can happen. And there are quality teams looking to unseat Boston. The Florida Panthers get the first crack with the two tangling in the first round. For obvious reasons the Panthers have the longest odds, but they also beat the Bruins twice during the season, so there’s that. After Boston there are four teams tightly bunched on the odds board with Metro Division champ Carolina followed by Toronto, New Jersey and the Rangers. Any one of those clubs is more than capable of pulling off an upset having collected at least 107 points during the year.
The 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on Monday, April 17. Betting options for every game and series as well as futures and props are available at BookMaker.eu.
NHL Playoffs Betting Lines
NHL Odds To Win 2023 Eastern Conference
Boston Bruins +145
Carolina Hurricanes +599
Toronto Maple Leafs +601
New Jersey Devils +666
New York Rangers +716
Tampa Bay Lightning +989
New York Islanders +1406
Florida Panthers +1647
How can you not like the Bruins after their dominant season that saw them boast an 82.3 points percentage? Unfortunately the playoffs are often referred to as the second season and Boston has the same record as everyone else heading in. Games are typically much tighter come playoff time and the Bruins know how to play stingy defense. They have a top four rotation of defensemen led by Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm, who both registered more than 50 points while averaging over 22 minutes of ice time.
Allowing only 177 goals during the season the Bruins were easily the best with no other team giving up fewer than 213 goals. If there is a breakdown defensively likely Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark is the last line of defense boasting a miniscule 1.89 GAA and .938 save percentage to lead the NHL in both categories. They allowed two or fewer goals in 52 of their 82 regular season games. And they didn’t just win with a strong defense. David Pastrnak scored 61 goals and four other players tallied more than 20 to finish second with 3.7 goals per game.
The Bruins are good but that’s not to say another club can’t beat them. The Presidents’ Trophy winner has gone on to win the Stanley Cup eight times since the award was introduced for the 1985-86 season. The Carolina Hurricanes have the next best odds and are the closest to Boston in terms of defensive structure. The Canes finished second to the Bruins in goals against and penalty kill percentage. They are middle of the road offensively, though, averaging 3.5 goals and they were impacted by the loss of Andrei Svechnikov, who tallied 55 points in 64 games before shelved with a knee injury.
One team that intrigues me is New Jersey. The Devs were built for this moment over years of frustration with former No. 1 overall picks Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes leading an offense that averaged the fourth-most goals. The acquisition of Vitek Vanacek solidified the goalie situation and the Devils posted a franchise record for wins and points. And isn’t it ironic that the Devils opened with odds of +666 to win the East.
A sign that the East is stacked is having Tampa Bay near the bottom of the odds board. With three straight trips to the Stanley Cup Finals and two wins, it’s like the Lightning aren’t getting a lot of respect. This is their sixth straight playoff appearance and they posted the lowest points percentage than in any of the previous five, but they are the three-time defending conference champs and will be tough out.
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