Apr 13, 2014; Newark, NJ, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a goal on New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur (30) during the third period at Prudential Center. The Devils defeated the Bruins 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
Bruins’ Chances by the Numbers
Yesterday, the Boston Bruins lost to the New Jersey Devils, 3-2, with a team full of call-ups replacing hurt or resting Bruins. This game didn’t indicate much for the B’s, expect that injuries to key players could translate to postseason setbacks.
Final regular season game aside, the Bruins stand firm as the Stanley Cup favorite, according to betting odds from VegasInsider.com.
The Bruins 3:2 odds exceed the Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, and Chicago Blackhawks at 6:1. The Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars are the least likely to win it all at 50:1.
A couple of middling teams could be alive in the later playoff rounds. In the West, the Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, and the Los Angeles Kings fall into that group. From the Eastern Conference, you have possible, but not very likely, contenders in the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Boston Bruins |
3/1
Colorado Avalanche
6/1
St. Louis Blues
6/1
Chicago Blackhawks
6/1
Anaheim Ducks
7/1
Pittsburgh Penguins
7/1
San Jose Sharks
8/1
Los Angeles Kings
12/1
Montreal Canadiens
20/1
New York Rangers
20/1
Tampa Bay Lightning
25/1
Detroit Red Wings
25/1
Philadelphia Flyers
30/1
Columbus Blue Jackets
50/1
Minnesota Wild
50/1
Dallas Stars
50/1
Obviously, gambling odds are never a certainty, but the Bruins were the best NHL team during the 2014 regular season. They’ve shown an ability to make it deep into the playoffs in previous campaigns.
Still, the B’s have only defeated their quarterfinal opponent, the Detroit Red Wings, in one out of four meetings this year. The Bruins will take on the Red Wings on Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET at the TD Garden.