Updated Stanley Cup Odds for All Remaining Teams in Round Two

• At the commencement of the second round of the NHL playoffs, the Vegas Golden Knights are +325 favorites to win the Stanley Cup
• The odds of the New York Islanders have shortened the most, improving from +3000 to +1000
• The Tampa Bay Lightning were the only team among the eight survivors to see their betting line get longer. Tampa Bay went from +500 to +625

Two years ago, the Vegas Golden Knights found themselves in the Western Conference final, facing an upstart young team from Western Canada. The Winnipeg Jets dispatched the reigning Western Conference champion Nashville Predators to earn the right to face Vegas.

This year, the Golden Knights find themselves in the Western Conference semi-finals, facing an upstart young team from Western Canada. The Vancouver Canucks dispatched the reigning Western Conference and Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues to earn the right to face Vegas.

Just as in 2018, bookmakers are laying odds the outcome will be identical and the Golden Knights will be moving forward in their quest for Lord Stanley’s mug.

Facing the Canucks, at odds of -275, Vegas is the heaviest favorite to advance among the eight conference semi-finalists. More significantly, the Golden Knights are the chalk to win the Stanley Cup with a betting line of +325.

2020 Stanley Cup Odds

Odds as of Aug. 22nd.

Vegas and Vancouver are the only teams left in the hunt without a Stanley Cup title.

Vegas, Baby

When the Stanley Cup playoffs began, the team that was picked to win the Cup happened to be Vegas. As the second round gets underway, the favorite’s crown is staying with Vegas.

Vegas has all the pieces in place to make a Stanley Cup run. The Golden Knights go two-deep in goal. You know your netminding is in good hands when Marc-Andre Fleury,  currently Robin Lehner’s backup, owns three Stanley Cup rings.

Back 2 business 🏒 pic.twitter.com/QM5Fvjl0PX

— x-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) August 21, 2020

Everywhere, balance abounds. Mark Stone (4-4-8) and Reilly Smith (3-5-8) lead the Golden Knights in postseason scoring. Shea Theodore (4-3-7) and Jonathan Marchessault (2-5-7) are right behind. Alex Tuch has scored four goals.

May Day For Tampa Bay?

Way back a year ago June when the 2019-20 Stanley Cup odds opened, the Tampa Bay Lightning were listed as the +700 chalk. But of eight survivors, Tampa Bay was the only team to see its Cup odds lengthen, from +500 to +625.

Tampa Bay avenged last year’s stunning first-round sweep at the hands of Columbus by bouncing the Blue Jackets this time around. Still, there seems to be some cohesion missing with the Lightning.

Not real if we don’t see this. ☑️#GoBolts pic.twitter.com/zKpR1e0HCc

— x – Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) August 17, 2020

This offensive juggernaut went 0-10 on the power play in the opening playoff round. Reigning Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov vanished for long periods of time. Captain Steven Stamkos (leg injury) was out.

The Lightning took way too many penalties (20 in five games) and their level of performance was shockingly inconsistent.

Islanders Of Hope

Dispatching the 2018 Cup champ Washington Capitals, Barry Trotz, the guy who coached the Caps to that title drew up a system to silence Alex Ovechkin and company.

There’s no team left in the postseason that is better positionally and more dedicated to their system than Trotz’s Islanders. They’ve already taken out the NHL’s #6 (Florida Panthers) and #2 (Washington) offenses.

The New York Islanders gave up just 3 goals and 24 high danger attempts against at 5v5 via NST IN THAT ENTIRE SERIES

— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) August 21, 2020

The Isles saw their Cup odds shorten from +3000 to +1000. Even at that price, they could be a bargain.

The East looks wide open. Philly relies on a lot of youngsters who ebbed and flowed against a weaker Montreal squad.

For pure value, the Islanders must be considered.