NHL Playoff Odds: Is This Finally Washington's Year?
Maybe this is the year for Washington. They lead our power rankings with a 0.95 nERD, which tells us the number of goals we'd expect them to win by against an average team on neutral ice. And they're fortunate to have Pittsburgh facing off against Columbus in the first round of this year's playoffs given it'll weed out a top competitor in the conference.
Our numbers definitely love Washington this year, at least. Not only do they have the highest odds to get out of the first round, but their chances of winning the Stanley Cup, per our algorithm, are almost twice as good as any other team.
Team | nERD | Stanley Cup Odds | First-Round Odds |
---|---|---|---|
Washington Capitals | 0.95 | 21.80% | 73.84% |
Minnesota Wild | 0.55 | 11.13% | 61.50% |
Pittsburgh Penguins | 0.60 | 9.09% | 53.07% |
Columbus Blue Jackets | 0.52 | 6.98% | 46.93% |
New York Rangers | 0.42 | 6.68% | 53.73% |
Chicago Blackhawks | 0.32 | 6.33% | 55.07% |
Anaheim Ducks | 0.25 | 6.06% | 59.68% |
Edmonton Oilers | 0.24 | 5.48% | 51.03% |
San Jose Sharks | 0.26 | 4.61% | 48.97% |
Boston Bruins | 0.24 | 4.61% | 56.47% |
Montreal Canadiens | 0.24 | 4.59% | 46.27% |
St. Louis Blues | 0.19 | 4.01% | 38.50% |
Nashville Predators | 0.14 | 3.25% | 44.93% |
Calgary Flames | -0.04 | 2.01% | 40.32% |
Ottawa Senators | -0.03 | 1.89% | 43.53% |
Toronto Maple Leafs | 0.01 | 1.48% | 26.16% |
Will this finally be it for Alex Ovechkin?