NHL Playoff Series Odds Update: Season Down to The Wire
With a Handful of Games Left, the NHL is Enjoying one of Its Most Competitive Seasons
If you’re NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, it’s hard to not be smiling from ear to ear after a season that still has three divisions to be decided with a few games left. Only the Atlantic Division has been a foregone conclusion with the Boston Bruins’ epic 125-point season with five games left.
The Carolina Hurricanes lead the New Jersey Devils by three points in the Metro while there’s a 3-way tie in the Central Division with the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and Minnesota Wild all with 98 points. Then there’s the Pacific Division that has been led by the Vegas Golden Knights for most of the season but they’ve never been able to hide from the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angels Kings who are separated by just four points with each having four games to play.
With a couple of weeks left before we get NHL playoff series odds, let’s go over some of the remaining match-ups to see if there are any you might want to put on your NHL picks or parlays cards.
Avalanche Clinch Playoff Berth, Looking for Division Title
Very few teams had to overcome more injuries than the Colorado Avalanche to start the season. That and the fact that they were fresh off a Stanley Cup victory that comes with the gift of a short season.
Head Coach Jared Bednar’s 3-year extension couldn’t be more deserving after taking over a Colorado team in 2016 when the team finished with just 48 points. Since the Avs have been in the postseason every season and are looking for their third straight Central Division title.
Colorado’s remaining schedule includes games against the Oilers, Kings, and Jets. Colorado, who has squeezed a small profit from the books this year (+87), are 9-5 against their remaining opponents including 3-0 against the Nashville Predators and 2-0 against the Oilers and Sharks. Of the three teams the Avalanche are battling the Dallas Stars have the easiest schedule with one game against the Vegas Golden Knights, but the rest are games against non-playoff teams.
Devils Take Out Penguins, Hurricanes Still Within Reach
Last night we saw Dawson Mercer score his first career hat trick, leading the New Jersey Devils to a 5-1 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins. With the win, the Devils move within three points of the Carolina Hurricanes with four games to play.
The problem is the Hurricanes own a game in hand. We still think the Devils and maybe the New York Rangers will go further in the postseason than Carolina but it does appear that Rod Brind’Amour’s team has the inside track to win the Metropolitan Division.
The ‘Canes have games against three non-playoff teams and two more against the Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers who have yet to clinch spots. All is not lost for the Devils who have three games against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Buffalo Sabres, and Washington Capitals. Only their match-up with the Boston Bruins could trip them up.
Pacific Division Offers Best Schedule
There’s nothing better than three teams with four points of each other with each having five games to play. The Vegas Golden Knights have led the Pacific Division almost from wire to wire and will break their franchise mark of 109 points if they capture seven of the possible ten points left on the schedule.
All that success and they still couldn’t shake the Los Angeles Kings and the Edmonton Oilers who have won four straight to tighten the race. To add some spice, no division has better games to end the season than the Pacific. Whoever earns the top spot will have done just that.
The Golden Knights face the Los Angeles Kings, Dallas Stars, and the Seattle Kraken twice. All three teams are playoff teams. The Oilers have the easiest schedule with twice games against the San Jose Sharks and one against the Anaheim Ducks.
Los Angeles has the Knights and Avs on their plate leaving the Oilers with the clearest path to winning the Pacific with two games against the San Jose Sharks and one against the Anaheim Ducks. It will be exciting to finally see the final NHL playoff series odds on the board, but before that, there are plenty of playoff-caliber match-ups remaining in the regular season. For all the best NHLÂ player stats, keep it right here through the NHL Playoffs.
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