Avalanche and Golden Knights Proving Their Series Is True Stanley Cup Final

The abnormal NHL schedule and format this year has had some positives, but one glaring negative is that the two best teams in the league are facing each other in the second round of the playoffs.

The Colorado Avalanche and the Vegas Golden Knights, who finished the season with the two best records in the NHL, will continue their playoff series tonight. In what has been must-watch TV, the Avalanche carry a 2-1 series lead as they prepare to play Game 4 in Las Vegas.

In a normal season, these two teams would be likely dueling it out in the Western Conference Finals, with the winner earning a berth in the Stanley Cup Finals. Instead, one of these teams will be making a second round exit while either the Canadiens or the Jets, who finished 14th and 18th in the league standings respectively, will be playing in a semifinal series next round.

While I’m all for low-seeded teams in the NHL making a run at the Cup, this format is just wrong. The juxtaposition between the level of hockey in the Avalanche/Golden Knights series and the Jets/Habs series is startling at best.

Many people are dubbing the West Division series as the true Stanley Cup Final, as the winner is projected to be the one lifting the trophy when it’s all said and done.

In saying that, there are still a couple of teams that can give them a run for their money including the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning. Regardless, it’s a shame that the Colorado-Vegas series is being buried in the second round.

Oddsmakers agree with this sentiment, as WynnBET has the Avalanche set as the +135 favorites to win the Stanley Cup, while the Golden Knights’ odds are set on the odds list at +600 despite being down 2-1 in their series. The Canadiens, who have a 2-0 series lead on the Jets, still have longer odds than the Golden Knights at +900.

WynnBET has Game 4 between the Avs and Knights set as a pick’em, with both sides set at -112 odds. The total for the game is set at 5.5 goals.