NHL Playoffs: Examining Potential Conference Series

The 2024 NHL Playoffs drops first puck on Saturday, April 20. From Saturday to potentially June 16, the best teams in professional hockey will strive to lift Lord Stanley’s cup. Plenty of teams have chances to win their respective conferences.

Which squads look best to battle it out in the Eastern Conference Finals and the Western Conference Finals?

When it comes down to NHL Playoff betting, you need winning odds, analysis and top potential conference series in both the east and the west.

2024 NHL Playoff Betting Game Analysis: Potential Conference Series | MyBookie NHL Postseason Betting Preview

2023–24 NHL Season | 107th season of the National Hockey League
2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs: April 20, 2024 – June 24, 2024

Potential NHL Eastern Conference Series

Carolina and Florida appear to be on a collision course. In the past few weeks, the Panthers and the Hurricanes have switched off as the outright chalk to win the Stanley Cup.

So Florida is ending the regular season playing excellent hockey. Carolina has won 8-of-10 as of April 15.

The Hurricanes are also playing terrific hockey, which is why this Eastern Conference Series makes sense. Keep reading to find out keys for each team to win this potential conference series along with a final pick.

Key to a Carolina Victory
The Hurricanes must find a way to breakthrough Florida’s blue line. The Panthers boast a +65 goal differential. Although that’s one less than Carolina’s +66, Florida has allowed less than 200 goals heading into their final 2 matches.

Sebastian Aho, Martin Necas, and Jordan Staal must get through Florida’s electric defense, which means if Carolina wishes to win, they have to take chances. Luckily, the Hurricanes has been awesome this season, dropping 276 pucks into the net.

Keys to a Florida Victory
Florida’s strategy will be to counter Carolina’s aggressiveness. If it ends up Panthers versus Hurricanes, the Eastern Conference Finals will be a contrast of styles.

The Panthers are terrific at playing defense and then taking advantage of missed opponent opportunities. That will be Florida’s key to get it done against Carolina if the two meet in the east finals. Florida has scored just 210 goals this season. The Panthers won’t change their patient strategy in the NHL Playoffs.

Betting Analysis

Florida will have the right strategy to beat Carolina. However, the Hurricanes are playing out of their minds right now, dominating in almost every phase of the game.

Carolina is surging after winning 8 of their last 10 heading into their April 16 matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets. If it comes down to Panthers versus Hurricanes, roll the dice on Carolina.

NHL Eastern Conference Odds

Carolina Hurricanes +300
Florida Panthers +350
New York Rangers +400
Boston Bruins +500
Toronto Maple Leafs +700
Tampa Bay Lightning +1200

Potential NHL Western Conference Series

Colorado Avalanche vs Edmonton Oilers

The Colorado Avalanche versus the Edmonton Oilers would be a Western Conference Finals matchup of gigantic proportions. On one side, the great Nathan MacKinnon throws down for the Avs.

On the other side, two future hall of fame players, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, skate for Edmonton. Both teams will lean into the playoffs ready to push to the Stanley Cup Series, which is why Colorado and Edmonton are massive favorites to win the Western Conference.

Check out the key for both the Avalanche and the Oilers to get it done. Then, keep reading for a final betting analysis.

Marker finished with 89. There’s a massive drop to the fourth point getter, Jonathan Drouin with 56. So if Marker and Rantanen don’t fire this NHL postseason, the Avs won’t get a chance to play the Oilers in the Western Conference Finals because Colorado will bow out in the first round.

Key to an Edmonton victory
Left winger Zach Hyman is the top goal scorer with 54.

The fact that McDavid and Draisaitl don’t lead Edmonton in scoring goals should be music to the ears of Oilers fans. The reason is because McDavid is the top points person with 132 and Draisaitl is second in points with 106.

Draisaitl and McDavid will step it up. So the key for the Oilers will be to get Hyman involved around the net because the Avs will have no choice but to mark McDavid and Draisaitl the way teams mark Lionel Messi when he’s on the pitch.

Colorado Avalanche vs Edmonton Oilers Betting Analysis

Avalanche versus Oilers will be an exciting series if Colorado makes it. The Avs went 3-5-2 in their last 10 before their final match of the season, a game versus Edmonton.

Colorado has the guns to make it to the Western Conference Finals. Once there, any team with Nathan MacKinnon won’t be out of it. Still, this feels like Edmonton’s year.

The Oilers are 6-2-2 before their April 17 game versus Arizona. Not only that, but Edmonton’s goal differential is +64, which is one better as of April 15 than +63 Dallas, which means the Oilers boast the best goal differential in the Western Conference.

If it comes down to Carolina versus Edmonton, it’s a no-brainer. Back the Oilers to win the West.

NHL Western Conference
Predicted Winner: Edmonton Oilers | Current Stanley Cup Odds NHL Futures for the Cup

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