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The National Hockey League is set to begin their playoffs on August 1, but the format will look a lot different than it has in years past. There will be 24 teams in the playoff field in 2020, but only 16 teams will make it past the opening round.
The top four seeds in each conference have earned a bye, and they will not be playing in the first round. Instead, these 8 teams will be playing in a round-robin style tournament to determine the seeding positions.
Edmonton and Toronto have been chosen as “hub” cities by the NHL, and they will host all of the games in the 2020 NHL Playoffs. The Stanley Cup Finals will be played in Edmonton, and teams will be forced to leave the “hub” once they are eliminated.
NHL executives have developed a strict health and safety program to ensure that the season is able to be finished. Players and team personnel will be tested daily for COVID-19 in an effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
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NHL Stanley Cup Contenders
Even though there are 24 teams set to begin the playoffs, there are five teams that stand out from the crowd. Here is a brief look at five teams that will likely make some noise in the playoffs.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Odds To Win: +650
The Tampa Bay Lightning were the best team in the NHL a season ago, but then suffered an embarrassing upset in the first round. Tampa Bay was not quite as good this season, but they were trending in the right direction before the league was shut down.
Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy can take over a hockey game at any time, and he will lead the Lightning on a deep run.
Boston Bruins
Odds To Win: +650
The Boston Bruins can score goals in a hurry, and they are also one of the best in the league at shutting down opponents. Goaltender Tuukka Rask is one of the best in the business, and he should be refreshed after a long layoff.
Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak give the Bruins a pair of great goal scorers, and they make life difficult for opponents. There is a reason that the Bruins were leading the East before the shut down.
Colorado Avalanche
Odds To Win: +800
Nathan MacKinnon is the best player on the Colorado Avalanche, but there are plenty of other offensive weapons on that team as well. Perhaps no team in the NHL has as much overall speed as the Colorado Avalanche, and that puts a ton of pressure on their opponents.
Colorado has yet to prove that they can win games in the playoffs, but this year is their best chance to do that.
St. Louis Blues
Odds To Win: +1100
The St. Louis Blues are the defending Stanley Cup champions, and they have a great chance to repeat this season. Winning the Stanley Cup in back to back seasons is never an easy task, but this is a veteran team with a ton of talent.
St. Louis was up at the top of the Western Conference before the shut down, and they will be ready to play when the playoffs begin.
Washington Capitals
Odds To Win: +1200
The Washington Capitals have Alexander Ovechkin, and that always gives them a chance to make some noise in the playoffs. Washington won the Stanley Cup just two seasons ago, and they have many of the same players.
The Capitals can be extremely deadly on the power-play, and this team can really score.
Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions:
The two best teams are in the Eastern Conference, and that race should be extremely tight. The Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning are both loaded with talent, and they appear to be on a collision course to meet up at some point.
One of these teams will likely win the Stanley Cup this season, and the Boston Bruins are the more complete team. Bet on the Boston Bruins +650 to win the Stanley Cup after a wild and crazy 2020 NHL season.
Ryan Knuppel Author
Ryan (aka Knup) has been writing sports betting content for over a decade now. He covers anything and everything related to United Stats sports including football, basketball, baseball, golf and more. He has finished first place in several gambling related contests over the years which gives him instant credibility in the betting world. Ryan is a die-hard St. Louis...
