It’s always fun when you manage a web site for a team that advances in the playoffs, because shortly after they win a round you get a few emails from various gambling outlets letting you know what the team’s odd are in the next round.
Case in point, there was more than one email in my inbox with the Tampa Bay Lightning’s updated odds to win the Stanley Cup. There were also some updated numbers for which player might win the Conn Smythe Trophy. Let’s go ahead and take a look at some of the numbers, odds courtesy of www.betonline.ag unless other wise noted.
Tampa Bay Lightning to win the Stanley Cup +150
So, if you drop $100 on this bet, you will win an additional $150 if the Lightning lift Lord Stanley’s Cup. If you believe in this team, it’s a pretty good bet. The Bolts have now been the underdogs in three out of four series (they were favored against the Rangers) and have overcome the odds so far.
Colorado has been the Stanley Cup favorites for most of the season with the Lightning usually ranking third or fourth depending on how they were doing at that time. The Avalanche are going off at -170 favorites (you have to bet $170 to win an additional $100). Like we saw in the Eastern Conference Round those number aren’t likely to change if Colorado wins Games One and Two at home. If the Lightning do pull off an upset in the opening games, you may see their odds get a little better.
Series to go six games +200
That would indicate that the oddsmakers think this is going to be a close series and both teams are going to, for the most part, hold serve at home. The next lowest odds are for the series to go seven games (+220). If you think either team is going to sweep you’re looking at a robust +550. You can also bet which team you think is going to win in six games with Colorado at +400 and the Lightning at +575. Again if the Lightning do win one of the first games in the Mile High City, expect those numbers to flip a little.
Andrei Vasilevskiy to win the Conn Smythe (+400)
If the Lightning win, chances are Vasy is a big reason why. Add that to his performance against the Panthers and in the later stages of the round against the Rangers (not to mention his numbers in close out games) and you can see why he has the lowest odds amongst Lightning players. Cale Makar (+180) is the leader for the Avalanche. Nikita Kucherov is also at +400 while Steven Stamkos is at +900.
A sneaky one to think about is Ondrej Palat. The Quiet One is second on the Bolts behind Kucherov with 16 points (8 goals, 8 assists), but two of those goals are game winners. If he has another strong series with a couple of clutch goals, he might sneak away with the award. Betonline has him at +6600, which would make for a very nice payout if he does pull it off. Hey, stranger things have happened in the past, right?*
It’s always fun to look at these things before the series starts (and then review them after the series ends). The oddsmakers in Vegas and around the world are pretty darn good at their job. Remember their job isn’t to always pick the winner, it’s to set a line that provokes betting on both sides.
If you do plan on wagering, please make sure you stay within your means. If you think you have a problem, or know of someone that might, contact 1-800-gambler for help.
*an early version used Draft Kings odds of +7500. Either way, it’s the very definition of a long shot.
Lightning / NHL News
What we’ve learned about the Stanley Cup-bound Lightning [ESPN]
Kucherov is elite. That’s one of their talking points? Did we not know that before? I’m not sure what else he has to do for folks outside of Tampa to realize he’s one of the best five players in the league.
Lightning Game 6 Report card [Tampa Bay Times]
Yup, you guessed it – A+. It was the most complete game of the playoffs for the Lightning, and that was with Victor Hedman missing about half of the second period.
No secret to what the Lightning want to do, stopping them is another story [Tampa Bay Times]
After shutting down the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers, the Lightning defense is now tasked with slowing down Cale Makar, Nate MacKinnon, and the rest of the Colorado Avalanche offense. Should be fun.
Lightning go for third straight Stanley Cup [New York Times]
There is really nothing we haven’t heard in this column, but it’s always nice when the New York Times has to write about the Lightning.
Pat Maroon’s mom – ‘He’s going to win 4 Cups’ [The Athletic]
“They’re going to make it to the Final tonight,” Patti vowed before the Lightning eliminated the New York Rangers with a 2-1 win. “He’s going to win four Cups, I’m telling you.”
Also, they have the infamous Budweiser Red Light that is programmed to go off whenever the Lightning score and was once reviewed here by our founding editor
Your officials for the Stanley Cup Final are set. There are some familiar names among the referees:
On-ice officials for the Stanley Cup final:
Refs – Sutherland, Dwyer, McCauley, Rooney, Jean Hebert
Linesmen – Barton, Daisy, Kovachik, Murchison, Murray— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 12, 2022
Huh, how about this for a fun fact?
Lightning vs Avalanche is the first Stanley Cup Final in NHL history to feature two teams that don’t end in the letter ‘S’
It also is only the second time in the history of the 4 major US sports that this has been the case
A stat that exists, but does not matter @Jomboy_
— Ryan Fueg (@rfueg31) June 12, 2022
While Lightning fans wait with baited breath in regards to the status of Brayden Point, Avalanche fans are anxious to know the status of a few players. Nazem Kadri and Andrew Cogliano both skated at their practice, but their status for Game One is still in doubt.
Kadri and Cogliano both skated this morning. Burakovsky maintenance day https://t.co/zN5e9DoNeC
— Mike Chambers (@MikeChambers) June 12, 2022
Alex DeBrincat tops Frank Seravalli’s Trade Targets [Daily Faceoff]
The initial trade list for the offseason doesn’t include any current members of the Tampa Bay Lightning (although a couple of familiar names do pop up). DeBrincat is an interesting name, considering the Chicago hockey team is looking to build their post-Toews/Kane team and one would think a young goalscorer like DeBrincat would be an ideal cornerstone to their next contending team.
NHL to hold Board of Governors next week [TSN]
In another sign that the league is getting back to their normal schedule, hockey’s illuminati is scheduled to meet on Thursday to speak about the state of the league. It’s the BOG’s second meeting of the season, following the one they had in December.
Florida Panthers reportedly fire two assistant coaches [Florida Hockey Now]
According to ESPN’s Kevin Weekes the Panthers have let go of assistant coaches Ulf Samuelsson and Derek McKenzie. It could be that the organization is opening up some spots for head coach Andrew Brunette to bring in his own assistants, but his future isn’t certain at this point either.
