The Washington Capitals have won the Presidents’ Trophy for the best record in the NHL for the second year in a row, compiling a 55-19-8 mark this season. The Capitals will look for better results in the postseason this time around as the Eastern favorites.
NHL playoff odds 2017: Capitals betting favorites atop Eastern Conference over Penguins
The Washington Capitals will try to carry the momentum of the regular season into a Stanley Cup run, as they enter the playoffs as the favorite at the sportsbooks to win their conference.
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Washington is going off as a +225 favorite on the odds to win the Eastern Conference at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
In addition to having the NHL’s best record despite playing in the league’s deepest division, the Capitals also ranked third in goals scored with 3.2 per game and first in goals against allowing 2.2 per game. The Capitals, with a 24.7 percent chance to win the Stanley Cup according to PredictionMachine.com, are the team to beat, but there are plenty of teams in the East capable of playing spoiler.
Toronto (+1100) will get the first crack at Washington, visiting the Capitals on Thursday for Game 1. The Maple Leafs are appearing in the postseason for just the second time since 2004.
Meanwhile, the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins (+350) open the postseason with a tough matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets (+500). Pittsburgh finished second in the NHL in points with 111 and Columbus was fourth in the NHL and third in the East with 108, but the divisional format pits these two Metropolitan Division foes against each other in the first round.
The home team is 4-0 in the last four games between the Penguins and Blue Jackets, according to the OddsShark NHL Database.
Only one point separated the wild card New York Rangers (+750) and the Atlantic Division winning Montreal Canadians (+650) this season, setting the stage for a tough battle for both teams in the first round.
Montreal has home ice, but the road team is 4-1 SU and 5-0 ATS in the last five games in this head-to-head series. New York is 8-2 in its last 10 playoff games against the Canadians.
And the Ottawa Senators (+1100) are a perfect 6-0 SU and ATS in their last six games against the Boston Bruins (+1100). The Bruins will get their first chance to snap the losing streak Wednesday night in Ottawa. The Senators have advanced out of the first round only once in the last nine years.
NHL Eastern Conference Betting Odds
(per OddsShark.com)
Washington Capitals +225
Pittsburgh Penguins +350
Columbus Blue Jackets +500
Montreal Canadiens +650
New York Rangers +750
Ottawa Senators +1100
Toronto Maple Leafs +1100
Boston Bruins +1100
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