As the NHL regular season draws to a close, it’s time to turn our attention to the most exciting time of the year for hockey fans: The Stanley Cup Playoffs. With intense rivalries and thrilling upsets, the playoffs are a perfect opportunity for bettors to get in on the action and win big. In this betting preview, we will take a look at some of the top teams and players to keep an eye on as well as provide insight and analysis to help you make the best Stanley Cup picks for the first round of the NHL playoffs.
Everything You Need to Know: Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round Series
Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers
This is one of the more exciting matchups in Round 1, as the best player in the world, Connor McDavid, coming off a historic season, faces a balanced Kings team that can play any style. The biggest advantage here for Edmonton is on special teams. Edmonton led the league in power play percentage at a whopping 32.4%, while the Kings had a bottom-10 penalty kill and were near the bottom of the league in times shorthanded. If the Kings are taking penalties at the rate they did during the regular season, this series could be over quickly. However, if they can stay out of the box, the Kings could find themselves making a deep playoff run. Ultimately, McDavid and the Oilers high-powered offense will be too much for the Kings.
Pick: Oilers in 6
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Florida Panthers vs. Boston Bruins
Boston just completed the greatest regular season of all time, but this matchup is far from a layup. The Panthers are playing as well as any team, leading the league in xGF/60 (3.95) at all strengths over the last 25 games. In that same span, Boston’s xGA/60 is 3.01, compared to 2.77 for the season. The Bruins let their foot off the gas in the last few weeks of the season, but will they be able to recapture their early season dominance? As +330 cup favorites, it’s tough to imagine the Bruins not making it past Round 1.
Pick: Bruins in 7
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New York Islanders vs. Carolina Hurricanes
The Islanders will get a huge boost in Game 1, as they welcome back star center Mathew Barzal, who will round out a dangerous top-6 forward group. Carolina is a heavy favorite in this series and has one of the strongest forward groups in the entire NHL, along with the second-lowest GA/60 of any team in the NHL, behind only the Boston Bruins. Carolina’s smothering defense will prove to be too much for the Islanders in what should be a pretty low-scoring series.
Pick: Hurricanes in 5
Minnesota Wild vs. Dallas Stars
With the status of Joel Eriksson-Ek up in the air for this series, the Wild are one of the tougher teams to get a read on. They will have Kirill Kaprizov (presumably) fully healthy after he got some reps in the closing games of the regular season, so that is a huge boost. These two teams both feature elite top lines as well as solid defensive play and goalies. Assuming Eriksson-Ek can play, side with the underdog in what should be a very even matchup between these two Central Division rivals.
Pick: Wild in 6
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New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils
This is another evenly matched series that features an abundance of great forwards, including Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Patrick Kane, Jack Hughes and Timo Meier. There is no shortage of offensive talent, but the Devils have been able to create quality chances as well as almost any other team in 2022-23. On the season, New Jersey ranks third in high-danger chances for per 60 minutes, while the Rangers are middle of the league in that category. Based on these teams’ current line combinations, the Devils should continue generating great chances, and that’s going to be key against star goalie Igor Shesterkin. This should be one of the best series to watch.
Pick: Devils in 6
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Seattle Kraken vs. Colorado Avalanche
The Kraken grabbed a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in just their second season of existence, but unfortunately for them, they get to face off against the defending champs. Colorado is getting healthy at the right time, and they’re going to get a massive boost, with arguably the best defenseman in the league, Cale Makar, expected back for Game 1. With Colorado also adding back top-line forward Artturi Lehkonen recently, this is a scary team for anyone. So while the Kraken have been solid all year, it’s tough to see a scenario where they can beat the Avalanche four times out of seven.
Pick: Avalanche in 5
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Winnipeg Jets vs. Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights have dealt with injuries all year, but they too just welcomed back two of their top players — center Jack Eichel and defenseman Shea Theodore. The Jets struggled during the second half of the season but were able to sneak into the playoffs in Game 81. There are not many advantages for either side on special teams, so five-on-five play and goaltending should be the deciding factors in this series. Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck finished the season fifth in goals saved above expected per 60 (minimum 500 minutes), but surprisingly, Vegas’ Laurent Brossoit finished third in the same category. Take the Knights in a hard-fought series.
Golden Knights in 7
Be sure to check out OddsShopper tools for all the best value on NHL bets throughout the postseason!
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Tampa Bay-Toronto will likely be the most talked-about series of Round 1. These two teams faced off one year ago in an epic seven-game series in which the Lightning came out victorious. The Leafs currently have the longest active playoff series win drought at 17 years, but 2023 looks to be a great chance for them to advance. The Leafs forward group is stacked, led by stud center Auston Matthews, followed by Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares and trade deadline addition Ryan O’Reilly. The Lightning’s depth is in question, but if their top line of Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos is firing on all cylinders, they could absolutely find themselves in the Stanley Cup Final for the fourth straight season. This one could go either way, but the lean is the Leafs to finally advance to Round 2.
Pick: Maple Leafs in 7
