The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs 2021 drop the puck this weekend with the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals facing off. Both hockey clubs will fancy their chances of winning the Stanley Cup 2021 in an extremely bizarre season. The NHL season is heading for the playoffs and fans are gearing up for an offseason full of international games. Fans can visit Spelschema Ishockey-VM to stay on top of all of the upcoming international ice hockey fixtures.
The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs 2021 will feature a unique format as 16 teams fight for the most prestigious trophy in the sport. So, how will this season’s Stanley Cup postseason differ from previous editions?
What is the NHL Playoff format?
The NHL season featured 56 games rather than the usual 82 games due to the season not starting until January. The reduction in games made the season even more competitive than usual due to clubs fighting for playoff places right down to the final weeks of the campaign. The reduced game schedule was not the only tweak the NHL made ahead of the regular season.
Philipp Grubauer, FIle photo by Jack Lima
Due to travel restrictions created by COVID-19, teams were realigned in to four divisions in which they played regional rivals. All Canadian teams played in the North Division while the remaining American hockey clubs were placed in regional divisions against area rivals.
The first and second rounds of the playoffs will see teams continue to play interdivisional rivals. This will once again prevent clubs from traveling large distances and theoretically cut down the chances of players, coaches, and personnel contracting COVID-19. Once the teams reach the third round (semifinals), the playoffs will see teams play outside of their divisions.
Which NHL team will win Sir Stanley’s cup?
The Stanley Cup 2021 Playoffs will feature a Canadian team in the semifinals. Due to the format of the playoffs, at least one team from Canada will reach the final four. The Montreal Canadiens were the last Canadian hockey club to win the NHL Stanley Cup in 1993. The 2011 Vancouver Canucks were the last Canadian team to qualify for the Stanley Cup Finals. The format will also ensure that at least one team from each division makes the Stanley Cup semifinals.
Leading sportsbooks have the Colorado Avalanche tipped as odds on favorites to win the Stanley Cup. The Avalanche are at odds of +450 to win the trophy. The Vegas Golden Knights are second in odds at +500. Colorado and Vegas have been the class of the NHL in the regular season.
Tuukka Rask #40 of the Boston Bruins takes a puck to the chest.
One issue bettors have going into the playoffs is that the Avalanche and Golden Knights play in the NHL’s Western Conference. Therefore, only one of the two teams can emerge from the division to play in the playoff semifinals. The Carolina Hurricanes are +650 to win the Stanley Cup while the North Division winners, the Toronto Maple Leafs, are at +700.
One of the interesting aspects about this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs is that the teams have only played interdivisional games. Unlike in “normal seasons”, clubs have not played outside their divisions, which will give us completely unique match-ups.
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