3 Reasons To Bet The Stars to Win the Stanley Cup
The Dallas Stars are back in the Western Conference Finals for the third time in the last five seasons so playoff experience is not an issue for the Central Division champions.
Colorado had the name recognition so many who bet online were picking the star-studded Avalanche to knock out Dallas in the second round. It wasn’t always easy, but Dallas won in double overtime in Game 6 to close out their division rivals.
While Dallas lost at home in Game 5 with a chance to knock out the playoff-tested Avalanche, veteran forward Matt Duchene’s goal in the second overtime sent Dallas into the Western Conference Finals. Dallas winning the series in six games carried +450 odds according to the BetUS sportsbook.
Dallas had won two playoff series in 11 seasons before the run to the 2020 Stanley Cup Finals. The experience during the 2020 and 2023 playoff runs should come in handy against either the Edmonton Oilers or the Vancouver Canucks in the Western Conference Finals.
According to the NHL playoff odds, the Stars (+185) have the best odds to win the Stanley Cup.
3 Reasons To Bet The Stars to Win the Stanley Cup
1. Young Stars Wyatt Johnston, Miro Heiskanen Lead the Way
Dallas has plenty of veterans to rely on with Joe Pavelski, Game 6 hero Matt Duchene, Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Ryan Suter no strangers to the pressure of playoff hockey.
When it came time to make plays in the first two playoff series, some of the youngsters stepped up.
Wyatt Johnston, who just turned 21, already has a pair of multi-goal games in this year’s postseason. The top two defensemen for the Stars are 24-year-old Miro Heiskanen and 22-year-old Thomas Harley. The 24-year-old Jason Robertson is a proven goal scorer and 21-year-old Logan Stankoven hasn’t looked overwhelmed in his first Stanley Cup Playoffs.
It doesn’t hurt to have young and fresh legs at this time of the season. If they can perform on the big stage against Nathan MacKinnon, Miko Rantanen, Cale Makar, and the Colorado Avalanche, the lights won’t be too bright the rest of the way.
2. Jake Oettinger Thrives As The Last Time Of Defense
It could be argued that Dallas could have the advantage in goal no matter which teams stand in their way for the rest of this year’s playoffs.
Jake Oettinger has been the unquestioned starter in Dallas in each of the last three seasons.
He served notice to the rest of the NHL that he is ready to take the next step after posting a 1.82 goals-against average and a save percentage of .954 during the 2022 playoffs. His numbers aren’t quite at that level this season with a goals-against average of 2.08 and a .918 save percentage, but some of that can be attributed to playing the Avalanche in the last round.
Goalie Jake Oettinger played a big part in the Stars’ 2OT win tonight:
◽️ 30 GA
◽️ 29 GS
◽️ 1 GA
◽️ .967 SV% pic.twitter.com/3scQSrKj41— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) May 18, 2024
Oettinger has looked unbeatable at times in the postseason and he is certainly the type of goalie who can win a series.
3. All the Boxes Are Checked
There are plenty of reasons why the Stars are listed by the NHL Vegas odds with the best odds to win the Stanley Cup title. There is not an apparent weakness on this Dallas team.
- An elite goalie – check.
- Puck-moving defensemen – check.
- Proven playoff producers – check.
- Scoring depth – check.
Dallas has shown the ability to win high-scoring games featuring countless odd-man rushes and are also right at home in tight-checking affairs.
Both the Oilers and the Canucks have plenty of high-end offensive talent while the two remaining teams in the Eastern Conference – the Florida Panthers and the New York Rangers prefer the rough stuff and are just fine with post-whistle scrums.
While the top three scorers in this year’s playoffs for Dallas are youngsters Johnston, Heiskanen, and Robertson, some of the veterans have to think this could be their final run at the Stanley Cup and that sense of now-or-never could prove to be beneficial. The maturity of this Dallas team was evident after an apparent game-winning goal in overtime in Game 6 by Mason Marchment was ruled no goal. The Stars kept plugging away until Duchene ended things against one of his former teams.
“I just shot it in and blacked out, pretty much,” Duchene said in his post-game interview on TNT. “I was so tired.”
Duchene and the Stars will have a chance to rest as the series between the Oilers and Canucks is still going on.
