Stanley Cup Odds 2012: Boston Bruins and Teams with Best Chance to Raise Cup

The Stanley Cup is the best trophy in sports and it's also one of the hardest to defend.

No team has successfully defended the Cup since the 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings, which is the longest repeat champion drought of all the four major North American sports. 

Let's look at the three teams who have best chance to raise the Cup in June.

Boston Bruins

The defending champs are the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and will play the Washington Capitals in the first round.

Led by stellar goaltending and strong defensive depth, not making at least the conference finals would be a real disappointment for the Bruins.

Star goaltender Tim Thomas will once again have to lead Boston on a deep playoff run, but after another great season between the pipes, his play is the least of the team's concerns.

With a physical style of play and a roster that is built for the playoffs, the Bruins are one of the top contenders for the Cup because they can match up well with any team in either conference.

Stanley Cup Odds: 5/1

St. Louis Blues

The St. Louis Blues surprised many hockey experts and fans by achieving the second-best record in the Western Conference this season.

They have the best goaltending duo in hockey with Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott, which gives them a great shot to win every game.

It also helps that their defense is very disciplined and physical, which makes them a nightmare to play against.

With some talented offensive players and veterans like Jamie Langenbrunner who have Stanley Cup-winning experience, the Blues will be very tough to beat in the playoffs.

They also are very well-coached by veteran leader Ken Hitchcock, who really turned the team around early in the season when he took over as head coach.

Stanley Cup Odds: 6/1

Pittsburgh Penguins

Led by two of the best players in the game, the Pittsburgh Penguins will be one of the toughest teams to knock out of the playoffs.

Star forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are capable of dominating offensively every game and make all their teammates around them much better.

Even though Pittsburgh doesn't have a ton of defensive depth, the Penguins have some quality defensemen with a lot of experience such as Brooks Orpik, Kris Letang and Paul Martin.

With an elite offense and a talented goalie that has won a Stanley Cup in Marc-Andre Fleury, the Penguins might be the team to beat in the playoffs this season.

Stanley Cup Odds: 3/1

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Nicholas Goss is a Boston Bruins Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and was the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Boston.