The Stanley Cup Playoffs have started, with 16 teams competing to win. It`s been a long time since a Canadian team won, 1993 to be exact, but this year five Canadian teams, including the Winnipeg Jets, are trying to change that. The Jets are the top team in the Western Conference and had the best record in the league this season. For those interested in betting, there are many opportunities for wagering on these playoff games and series.
Let`s take a look at the first round of the NHL Playoffs.
NHL Playoffs Preview
The Winnipeg Jets and Washington Capitals are the top seeds in the Western and Eastern Conferences respectively. Winnipeg will play against the St. Louis Blues, and Washington will face the Montreal Canadiens.
Western Conference
The Jets have a very strong defense, mainly because of their excellent goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who is likely to win the Hart Trophy as the NHL`s most valuable player. The Blues also have a good goalie with lots of playoff experience, Jordan Binnington, who helped St. Louis win the title in 2019. In Game 1, Winnipeg was losing for most of the game but came back to win 5-3.
The Vegas Golden Knights have been strong contenders since they joined the NHL. Jack Eichel had his best season, and Adin Hill played well as goalie. Vegas has many players who have played in the playoffs before. They are playing against the Minnesota Wild, who have had an inconsistent season. However, their goalie Filip Gustavsson has been playing very well recently, becoming one of the best goalies in the league since March.
The Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche are playing each other in a series between two teams that are always in the playoffs. Colorado won Game 1 easily 5-1. The Avalanche have star players like Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, while the Stars are a well-rounded team with Matt Duchene and Jason Robertson as key players. Dallas`s goalie Jake Oettinger is proven, and Colorado`s Mackenzie Blackwood has been playing great since joining from San Jose.
The last first-round matchup in the West is between the Los Angeles Kings and the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers lost in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals last year, and Connor McDavid and his team are determined to get back and win. Their first challenge is against Los Angeles, who have one of the best defenses in the NHL. Darcy Kuemper is known to be a very tough goalie for the Kings.
Eastern Conference
The Washington Capitals got a lot of attention this year as Alex Ovechkin chased and broke Wayne Gretzky`s record for most goals. They also played very well, earning the top seed in the East. They are playing against Montreal, who got the last playoff spot just before the regular season ended. The Canadiens have allowed the most goals out of all the playoff teams.
The only first-round series between two Canadian teams is Toronto versus Ottawa. The Toronto Maple Leafs are led by Mitch Marner, who scored over 100 points, and Auston Matthews, even though he was injured at times. Anthony Stolarz has also been a strong goalie for Toronto. The Ottawa Senators have had trouble scoring at times and only have two players who scored 60 points or more.
Moving from a Canadian matchup to one within Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning, who won the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021, are playing against the Florida Panthers, who won the title last year. The Lightning scored the most goals in the NHL, with Nikita Kucherov leading in points, while Sam Reinhart was the top scorer for the Panthers.
The final Eastern Conference series is between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New Jersey Devils. Carolina is among the top ten in both scoring and fewest goals allowed, while New Jersey has a strong defense but has struggled to score goals. Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis are key players for the Hurricanes, and the Hughes brothers, Jack and Luke, are top players for the Devils.
Responsible Gaming
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There are also national organizations that can help, such as The National Council on Problem Gambling and Gamblers Anonymous, and you can call 1-800-GAMBLER for support.
