For the past two years, the Colorado Avalanche were the favorite to win the Western Conference and Stanley Cup championship. But Colorado let down gamblers, their fans, and themselves with colossal flops. Last year was especially painful when Colorado went up 2-0 against the Vegas Golden Knights, only to blow the next four games. This year the Avalanche are an even bigger favorite than ever before. The question is if there is a viable alternative in the Western Conference. The Golden Rule is that anything is possible in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Montreal Canadiens making the 2021 Stanley Cup Final is the latest example of that phenomenon.
2022 NHL Western Conference Championship Odds
Colorado Avalanche +135
Calgary Flames +375
Minnesota Wild +800
Edmonton Oilers +800
St. Louis Blues +1000
Nashville Predators +1600
Dallas Stars +1800
Los Angeles Kings +2200
Odds Analysis
It is easy to understand why the Avalanche are such heavy favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Colorado blew away the rest of the Western Conference field and virtually led the regular season race wire to wire.
Colorado Avalanche
Colorado has one of the most devastating offenses in recent memory. The Avalanche has a deep lineup and plenty of secondary scoring. Defenseman Cale Makar is a top candidate for the Norris Trophy as the best at his position. The big worry about Colorado is defensive depth and goaltenders that are unproven in the playoffs. Stanley Cup Playoff pressure can break the strongest of men, particularly goalies.
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames use tight defense and strong goaltending as their foundation. And they generate offense from that defense, forcing opponents into mistakes. Head coach Daryl Sutter is a taskmaster that has whipped the C into shape. But will the Flames be worn down from the taxing regular season? On the other hand, does their playing style and good habits set them up for immediate playoff success.
Minnesota Wild
Minnesota has been in a season-long fight with the St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames for the second spot in the Western Conference Playoffs. Minnesota has nice metrics, but their lack of historic success in the Playoffs remains a tough sell to gamblers. Another worry is that the Wild are undecided about who the number one goaltender is.
St. Louis Blues
St. Louis won the 2019 Stanley Cup with a traditionally heavy style of hockey that emphasized physical play, tight defense, and strong goaltending. The Blues flashed a new and exciting look of skill and higher scoring offense this year. One big change is that 2019 Stanley Cup hero Jordan Binnington may lose the net to Ville Husso, who was the far more consistent goalie this season.
Nashville Predators
The Predators are not a team that draws much interest from fans and gamblers. But to their credit, the Preds have held a wild card playoff spot for most of the season. But Nashville has middle-of-the-road metrics on all key categories. They are not a serious contender. Nashville was slow and steady while other higher-ranked teams faltered.
Dallas Stars
Two years ago, the Dallas Stars provided a classic example of how a team can rise out of nowhere in the NHL Playoffs. Dallas made the Stanley Cup Final before losing to the Tampa Bay Lighting. The Stars have had to use grit and timely scoring this year to stay in the playoff race. Dallas remains a team that struggles to score goals, and their defense and goaltending are average.
2022 Western Conference Prediction
The Colorado Avalanche are a heavy favorite with a big price tag. And the Avalanche are untested between the pipes. Despite that problem, there does not appear to be a better alternative.
BookMaker Pick: Colorado Avalanche
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