2020 Stanley Cup Contenders
With only five days left before the start of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Teams are frantically preparing for the grueling grind of hard-hitting, fast skating, take no prisoners style of professional hockey that only the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs can deliver.
The hockey world and the World itself were thrown into shock and global fear as on March 12, 2020, it was announced that all sports leagues would be indefinitely halted due to the Covid-19 Pandemic that has the world in its terrifying grip.
Fast forward to July 2020. The NHL is preparing to allow teams to compete for the Stanley Cup, albeit in a 24 group expanded playoff format.
With the four-month layoff, many teams that weren’t expected to make the show now have renewed hope of lifting Lord Stanley. The first round will be a best of five; considering this and the rust that teams may have gathered, it’s quite possible that some of the underdogs could upset in the first round, making this one of the most exciting and memorable playoffs ever. Now, with all that said, let’s examine the top five contenders for the 2020 Stanley Cup.
Top 5 Contenders 2020 Stanley Cup
- Boston Bruins-The Bruins were atop the NHL standings with 100 points and a 6 point lead over last year’s Champion St. Louis Blues. The Bruins are a hard-nosed team, as has always been their tradition. With goal-scoring sensation Pasternak third in the NHL scoring race (95) points, four-time Frank J. Selke winner Patrice Bergeron, super pest Brad Marchand and Vezina Trophy winner Tuukka Rask between the pipes, it will be a tough task for any team to upend the Bruins. Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook has the Bruins as (6/1) to win it all.
- Tampa Bay Lightning-Trailing the Bruins by 8 points in the Atlantic Division is an elite team and should not be taken lightly. Although they were swept in last year’s playoffs by the Columbus Blue Jackets, this year’s bunch will be looking to atone for last year’s debacle. Lead by sniper Steve Stamkos who is day to day after recovering from a lower-body injury but listed as probable for the first round against Washington, 33 goal scorer Nikita Kucherov, and the 6 ft 6 in Victor Hedman on the back-end and Andrei Vasilevskiy minding the crease. The Lightning are (6/1) favorites.https://tedtalkshockey.com/2020/07/11/the-coachs-john-tortorella/
- Vegas Golden Knights-Pacific Division-leading Knights are looking to capture the magic of their first-year heroics and a return to the Finals. With 86 points on the season and leading the second-place Oilers by three points, the Knights were on an 8-2 run in their last ten games before the shutdown. The Knights are a team built for the playoffs with stellar goaltending from Cup winner Marc-Andre Fleury and a group of buzz saws that will check relentlessly. They’re a solid pick to make a deep run. Vegas is at (6/1).
- Colorado Avalanche-The boys from mile-high were only two points behind division-leading St. Louis with one game in hand at the shutdown. With superstar center and Ted Lindsay Award Finalist Nathan MacKinnon along with second center Nazim Kadri adding much-needed depth and star players such as Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog Colorado presents a formidable challenge. They are (8/1) favorites.
- St. Louis Blues-Last seasons Cup Champs will have their hands full, fending off this year’s challengers for the 2020 Stanley Cup. The Blues are being led by star players David Perron, with nine powerplay goals on 166 shots, Ryan O’Reilly Plus/Minus 11 with 16 powerplay assists and 12 goals for 61 points. For the Blues to repeat as Cup Champs, they will need the twenty-seven-year-old rookie of the year finalist Jordan Binnington to bring the same composure that he delivered last season when he emerged from the unknown to take a last-place team on a 24-5-1 run that saw them go from last in the regular season to lifting the Stanley Cup in June. The Blues come in as (10/1) favorites to repeat.
Dark Horses
The Washington Capitals come in tied with the ST. Louis Blues at (10/1) odds, followed by the Philadelphia Flyers at (12/1), Dallas Stars at (14/1), and the Pittsburgh Penguins at (16/-1). For their shot at the 2020 Stanley Championship.
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