After a long history of playoff failures could the San Jose Sharks finally be ready to win that elusive Stanley Cup championship?
The Sharks are the favorites to hoist the trophy on the Stanley Cup futures at online sportsbook Bodog after taking a 3-2 series lead in the Western Conference final. San Jose was moved up to +160 on the futures after beginning the series as a +550 underdog. Looking back even farther, right before the playoffs began the Sharks were a +1400 underdog to win the Cup.
A big part of the Sharks’ success has been their big scorers playing up to their potential. The top three playoff scorers are all Sharks, with Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture leading with 21 points, followed by Brent Burns with 19 points.
The Sharks’ opponent in the Western Conference final, the St. Louis Blues, saw their odds take a massive hit after falling behind 3-2. The Blues are currently a +500 underdog on the Stanley Cup odds, but just a few days ago they were the Cup favorites. That just shows how quickly the odds can shift during the postseason.
Sitting in between San Jose and St. Louis on the futures are the Eastern Conference final opponents, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Lightning are one win away from advancing to the Cup final for the second straight year after topping Pittsburgh 4-3 in overtime in Game 5. After that win the Bodog oddsmakers bumped Tampa Bay up to +240 on the odds list. The Lightning continue to find success without Steven Stamkos, who remains without a timetable to return.
The Penguins are getting +300 odds to win the Stanley Cup at Bodog, but they’re in a tough spot to even make the Cup final right now. The Penguins, who began the Eastern Conference final as the overall Cup favorite, face a must-win Game 6 on Tuesday night. It will be interesting to see what the odds look like if Pittsburgh can force a Game 7 against Tampa Bay.
Odds to win Stanley Cup at Bodog:
San Jose Sharks +160
Tampa Bay Lightning +240
Pittsburgh Penguins +300
St. Louis Blues +500