A month ago the Minnesota Wild and Washington Capitals looked destined to face off in the Stanley Cup Final, such was their dominance in each conference. What a difference a month makes as both teams are now struggling badly and a raft of new contenders has emerged. The Chicago Blackhawks are flying, while the form of the Pittsburgh Penguins has been superb, and dark horses are arising, from the Columbus Blue Jackets to the Calgary Flames. It is all shaping up to be extremely exciting, with just 10 points left in the regular season.
Futures
The Caps’ lead in the Metropolitan Division has been cut to just one point as Washington is 5-4-1 in its last 10 games. The Penguins have now accrued 101 points, the second highest in the NHL, bettered only by the Caps’ 102. But The Penguins are in much better form – 8-1-1 in the last 10 – and they have the momentum to overtake Washington. Pittsburgh, the 2016 champion, is now a real threat and looks an interesting bet at 2/1 to win this division with Bet365.
The Montreal Canadiens are 1/2 with Paddy Power to win what looks a pretty weak Atlantic Division. They have a three-point lead and should maintain it.
In the Pacific Division, the San Jose Sharks are on a four-game losing streak but are still four points ahead of the Oilers and Ducks with 10 games to go. They should hold them off, but the threat may come from the Calgary Flames, who are 8-2 in their last 10, compared to 4-6 for San Jose, and are just five points behind. Still, the Sharks should cling on and the 5/13 at Bet365 on them winning it looks reasonable.
It is remarkable to see the odds in the Central Division, where Chicago is now 1/4 favourite with William Hill and Bet365 to win it. The Wild were odds-on just a few weeks ago, but have now gone out to 10/3 with Ladbrokes on the back of a miserable run that has seen them lose seven of their last 10 games. It is now hard to fancy them for the Stanley Cup, where they are 7/1 with 888 Sport. The Caps are still favourites at 6/1 with Ladbrokes, but the interesting choices are surely the Blackhawks (7/1 with William Hill) or the Penguins (8/1 with 888 Sport). The Blue Jackets also look a good longer shot at 10/1 with Bet Victor.
Upcoming Games
The in-form Flames travel to Nashville to face the Predators on Friday and it should be a close-fought game, with Nashville favoured by bookmakers. But the Flames are the most consistent team in the NHL right now and the 19/16 available on them winning this looks great. The Blackhawks play the Dallas Stars on the same day and should beat a team that is second bottom of the Central Division. Chicago is 5/12 so Calgary and Chicago could make an interesting double bet.
