Bet On The Tampa Bay Lightning To Win The 2016-17 Stanley Cup
No NHL team has won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles since 1998, leaving the door open for other contenders to dethrone the Pittsburgh Penguins as champions.
Here are a few Stanley Cup contenders to consider putting your money on this season as well as a dark horse to watch closely.
Tampa Bay Lightning (+700)
When superstar sniper Steven Stamkos left money on the table to sign a multi-year deal to remain in Tampa Bay, it just strengthened the Lightning’s chances of remaining legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.
Bet365 are among several online sportsbooks that have Tampa Bay as the odds-on favourites — vaulting past the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins — to win it all. Bet365 is offering an enticing +700 line the Bolts will capture their second Cup in franchise history.
The Stamkos deal is paying off early for the Lightning as the right-winger has collected nine points through six games and is a contender to win a third Rocket Richard Trophy as the league’s top goal scorer.
Expect to see the Bolts to be one of the NHL’s highest scoring clubs, spurred by their high rate of shots on goal. Tampa Bay is ranked fourth in shot attempts.
It has certainly translated to goals, as the Lightning sit among the top teams in the NHL with 3.83 goals per game.
Head coach Jon Cooper has done a tremendous job with the team’s special teams as well.
The Lightning’s 30.4 percent conversion rate on the man advantage ranks third in the NHL, while the team’s 88.2 percent rate on the penalty kill puts them in the top 10.
Washington Capitals (+850)
As the old saying goes, you must learn to lose before you can learn to win.
The only problem is, the Capitals have been doing much more losing when it matters most.
The club is hoping to change that in 2016-17 as they remain among the early favourites to win the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history.
The Capitals — who are +850 favourites to win it all according to Bet365 — have been the best regular-season team over the past few seasons but have failed to convert that success to the postseason.
At 31-years-old, Russian superstar Alex Ovechkin has showed no signs of slowing down offensively with four points in the first five games of the season.
However, Ovie’s time to complete an illustrious career with a Cup ring is slowly running out. Washington was nearly unbeatable on home ice last season, where they only lost eight times at the Verizon Center.
It’s certainly something to consider when placing your bets on the Caps this season.
The Capitals will have a tougher time to top a much more competitive Metropolitan Division, but Bet365 is offering a +200 line Washington will finish first once again this season.
St. Louis Blues (+1000)
When breaking down the Western Conference, look no further than the Blues to be No. 1 contenders to reach the Stanley Cup final.
High expectations have fallen short for the Blues ever since head coach Ken Hitchcock took over behind the bench five years ago.
The future Hall of Fame coach is focused on going out on top after announcing at the start of the season that the 2016-17 campaign would be his last.
Bet365 is offering an intriguing +1000 line the Blues will finally break through and win their first ever Stanley Cup crown.
It’ll be a tough task in a Central Division consisting of the powerhouse Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators.
The Blues ranked fourth in goals against a year ago and the team will have to rely on its stingy defence — led by Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk — in order to reach the finals this season.
St. Louis will have no problem scoring goals as long as sniper Vladimir Tarasenko is in the line-up.
The Russian has four goals through seven games and is on pace to score 47 tallies.
It remains to be seen whether losing Brian Elliott to Calgary will hamper their Stanley Cup chances.
Sleeper
Florida Panthers (+2000)
If you’re looking for an underdog to place your money on, look no further than the Panthers.
The team shocked the hockey world a year ago when it topped the Atlantic Division.
While it’s unlikely the Panthers will repeat as division champions, head coach Gerard Gallant will have this team in the postseason hunt for a second straight season.
The Panthers are +2000 underdogs to win the Stanley Cup, according to Bet365, and while it is definitely a long shot, the team has enough talent throughout the lineup to once again make some noise.
Stanley Cup Champion: Tampa Bay Lightning (+700)
Western Conference Champion: St. Louis Blues (+1000)
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