Bruins Listed as 2019 Stanley Cup Favorites After Knocking Off Leafs

• The Boston Bruins eliminated the Toronto Maple Leafs from the playoffs on Monday
• The Bruins are now favored to win the Stanley Cup
• Boston (107 points) is the top NHL regular-season team left in the postseason

Whichever team survived from the opening-round Atlantic Division series between the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs, it figured that their path to the Stanley Cup would look a little clearer.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Boston Bruins.

No Canadian teams remain. pic.twitter.com/yGC0KmCkBj

— Hockey Night in Canada (@hockeynight) April 24, 2019

Minus the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning, instead of facing the NHL’s top regular-season team in the second round of the playoffs, the Bruins find themselves up against the eighth-seeded Columbus Blue Jackets instead.

Oddsmakers have also taken notice of this change in direction. The sportsbook has established the Bruins as the chalk in the 2018-19 Stanley Cup odds.

2019 Stanley Cup Championship Odds

*Odds taken on 04/24/19

Boston’s most recent Stanley Cup win came in 2010-11. The Bruins lost the 2012-13 Stanley Cup Finals to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Boston’s Big Three Dominant

Boston may suit up the NHL’s best two-way line in Patrice Bergeron between Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak, and the big three were certainly firing on all cylinders against the Leafs.

Stone face killah.@Bmarch63 | #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/Xb0qIy7Wd5

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 24, 2019

They combined for nine goals and 20 points over the seven games. Marchand scored four times on the power play, as Boston lit up the Leafs at 43.8% (7-for-16) with the man advantage. On the road against Toronto, the B’s power play clicked at 71.4% (5-for-7).

Brad Marchand, walking through the Bruins’ room, puts his hand to his ear.

“How quiet’s Toronto right now?”

— Matt Porter (@mattyports) April 24, 2019

With the Bruins facing elimination in Game 6 at Toronto, Marchand scored twice in a 4-2 victory. Boston is 20-1 in the playoffs when Marchand scores a goal.

But It Wasn’t Just Them

Last spring when the Bruins also opened the playoffs by knocking off the Leafs in seven, the Bergeron-Marchand-Pastrnak trio accounted for 30 points. This time around, Boston displayed plenty of secondary scoring.

In the decisive seventh game. the first three Boston goals came from Marcus Johansson, Joakim Nordstrom and Sean Kuraly, all third- or fourth-line players.

David Krejci (2-3-5) and Charlie Coyle (three goals) also had big series.

Goals in two straight for @CharlieCoyle_3.#NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/vYCJL94LTh

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 16, 2019

Six Bruins scored at least two goals and seven contributed a minimum of four points. Eleven of Boston’s top 13 scorers were also plus players.

It takes depth to lift the Stanley Cup. Boston looks much deeper than in the past.

Been There, Done That

With so many first-round upsets, there’s not much Stanley Cup know-how left in the postseason. The Washington Capitals are defending champs, but they haven’t got past the pesky Carolina Hurricanes yet. Columbus, St. Louis, and San Jose have never won a Cup.

The Islanders most recent Cup was won in 1983. Colorado (2001) and Dallas (1999) are years removed from a title.

The Bruins won in 2011. Krejci, Bergeron, Marchand, captain Zdeno Chara, and goalie Tuukka Rask remain from that team. Defenseman Torey Krug was in the 2013 final.

BRUINS to the second round!!! 🔥🤟 #NHLBruins #StanleyCup GAME 7 and 5-1 win over toronto. #Bruins #BruinsFam #boston #NHLPlayoffs 👏👏👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/SoEBKsK3ba

— RJ (@Rickzard) April 24, 2019

Boston owns home ice the rest of the way and won 29 home games this season.

Put your money on the Bruins.

Pick: Boston Bruins (+450)