The NHL playoffs have officially begun and everyone is asking who will win this year’s Stanley Cup. In many national sports, they have a big championship trophy, and the National Hockey League (NHL) has the Stanley Cup.
According to the NHL records, the Stanley Cup is the most respected trophy of all sports and is called to be the hardest sport trophy to win. The Stanley Cup Final is one of the longest-running championship events. Last year's winners were the Vegas Golden Knights, and they were up against the Florida Panthers. But the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup 24 times.
Opening day for the first round of NHL playoffs was on April 20th, 2024 and the official NHL website shows a bracket online of all the 16 teams and who they’re up against.
The Western Conference teams are Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights, Winnipeg Jets vs. Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks vs. Nashville Predators, and Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings.
The Eastern Conference teams are Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals, and Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders.
The most likely team to be winning this year’s Stanley is the Carolina Hurricanes. The Carolina Hurricanes have been everyone’s favorite team, despite only winning one championship. They’re one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and Sportskeeda gives 3 simple reasons as to why the Carolina Hurricanes will win this year’s Stanley Cup.
The first reason is goal tending, and that won’t happen unless with goalie Frederik Andersen. Andersen really helped the team in Game 1 and Game 2, and he’ll be the backbone of Carolina’s winning streak.
The second reason is a balanced attack, meaning there’s not just one or two players who are “carrying” the team, it’s the whole team. Play after play, everyone is working together, and that’s how teams win championships.
The final reason is the Carolina Hurricanes never give up. In Game 2 against the New York Islanders, the Carolina Hurricanes were losing 0-3 then made a comeback at the last seconds of the second period. They outscored the New York Islanders in Game 2 with a winning score, 5-3. The Carolina Hurricanes never gave up, they just kept making shots and making smart plays.
Many people are betting a good amount of money on the Carolina Hurricanes. And there’s no doubt that the Carolina Hurricanes can make it to the championship. Sporting News lists the teams who are this year’s Stanley Cup odds favorites, and they’re the Florida Panthers, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Colorado Avalanche.
Everyone has a favorite hockey team and anyone can say that their favorite team will win the Stanley Cup this year— but there are teams who have a better chance of winning, and one of them is the Carolina Hurricanes. You can love them or hate them, but overall they’re a great team, and they’re fighting to win this year’s Stanley Cup.
