The Stanley Cup is the NHL championship trophy awarded to the playoff winner. This year's NHL conference finals will be a historic event because it will be the first time in the history of Major League sports that the four teams with the highest regular season records were eliminated at the same stage. Last year’s winners, the Florida Panthers, are the current even-money favourites to retain their title.
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The Florida Panthers vs The Carolina Hurricanes
After winning the Stanley Cup last season, the Florida Panthers posted a 47-31-4 season. They enjoyed a 2-1 record over the Hurricanes during the regular season, and Sam Bennett will hope to continue his good scoring form against them.
Bennett already has three assists and six goals from his 12 postseason games, with Matthew Tkachuk suffering a slight loss of form after a great start to the playoffs, where he scored three goals in three games. Last season, he led the team in shots on goal with 83 in 24 games, but this year he has only managed 17 in 12 games.
The Hurricanes find themselves at the bottom of the betting, with odds of around 14/1. Their home form in the playoffs has been key to their progression, winning five from 5. They come up against a Panthers team that leads the way in goals on their travels at 33. Andrei Svechnikov will be hoping to add to his eight playoff goals, but has only managed 3 in 25 against Florida during his career.
The Edmonton Oilers vs The Dallas Stars
Despite Connor McDavid being named the final MVP, last season's losing finalists, the Edmonton Oilers, came up short and struggled with injuries this season. They finished with a 48-29-5 season, with Calvin Pickard, Corey Perry, Brett Kulak, Darnell Nurse, and Leon Draisaitl being the standout performers.
After starring in the final last year, McDavid looks like he wants to repeat history. He has three goals and 17 points from the 11 postseason games he has played this year. Teammate Zach Hyman joins McDavid as the potential threat the Stars will have to be on guard against, with three goals and five assists in his 11 postseason games.
Mikko Rantanen has been a great addition, has proved his worth in the playoffs, and has led the way in the NHL with nine goals and 19 points. He will be going into the game against Edmonton full of confidence, and his record of 2 goals and seven assists in the last seven games against them will also help.
Wrap Up
While the leading bookmakers have already priced up the conference finals and Stanley Cup outright, fans will still enjoy good value. With so many twists and turns already this season, there will likely be more surprises to come.
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