Updated NHL Playoff Odds: The Capitals Are Still Big Favorites
It was Game 6, the Wild were in front of their home crowd in Minnesota, and they were down by four goals to the Stars after two periods.
And then things got chaotic.
Minnesota was able to storm back and score four goals in the third period. They also would've forced overtime had this puck been forced literally an inch more into the net.
Welcome to the NHL playoffs.
There's still a first-round Game 7 to be played between the Predators and Ducks, but Round 2 gets going tonight between the Islanders and Lightning.
The most intriguing second-round series by far, though, is between the Capitals and Penguins, arguably the two best squads in the NHL. As you can see below, their chances of winning the Stanley Cup are the two highest in hockey, meaning the winner of the series -- we like the Caps -- will easily have the best odds to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup at the end of the playoffs.
Take a look at the breakdown below, noting that Nashville and Anaheim's numbers are averaged out based on how they'd perform against San Jose in Round 2.
| Team | Round 2 Odds | Stanley Cup Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Washington Capitals | 56.09% | 21.85% |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 43.91% | 14.38% |
| Dallas Stars | 53.48% | 14.21% |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 54.54% | 11.35% |
| St. Louis Blues | 46.52% | 11.14% |
| San Jose Sharks | 52.78% | 10.33% |
| Nashville/Anaheim | 47.22% | 9.08% |
| New York Islanders | 45.55% | 7.65% |
