NHL Playoffs 2012: Stanley Cup Odds Heading into Finals

One of the wildest first rounds in recent memory is in the books and this year's NHL playoffs appear to be completely and totally up for grabs. The list of teams who have been eliminated reads like a who's who of Stanley Cup champions over the past several years, meaning we may very well see a first-time (or first time in a long time) winner.

If we learned anything from the first few rounds it is that the odds really don't mean anything unless the teams come to play. Essentially all of the early favorites are now sitting at home and watching the playoffs on television, and that opens up a world of possibilities moving forward.

According to Bovada, here are the Stanley Cup-winning odds for each of the two teams left in the 2012 NHL postseason.

Los Angeles Kings

Odds: -170

Heading into the postseason, the Los Angeles Kings were an afterthought. Following series victories over the Western Conference's top three seeds, they are now the favorites to win the Stanley Cup, proving that getting hot at the right time is more important than a point total.

What has set the Kings apart is depth. Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar have led the way, but players like Justin Williams and Dustin Penner has stepped up to give the team more weapons than their opponents have been able to defend.

Just like the New Jersey Devils, they have a steadying presence in net in Jonathan Quick. The series will likely be decided by which goalie has a better series. Will it be the wily veteran or the rising star? The oddsmakers are expecting the latter. It should be a terrific end to the season either way.

New Jersey Devils

Odds: +150

The New Jersey Devils have pulled off three straight upsets–based on seeding–to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. They knocked off the Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers and, most recently, the New York Rangers to earn a shot at another championship.

These aren't the same Devils who skated away with the title in 2003, however. They are more offensive-minded with superstars like Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise leading the way and a strong supporting cast to pick up the slack when necessary.

The one constant has been Martin Brodeur between the pipes. After a lackluster regular season by his standards, he's elevated his game in the playoffs. Another strong series from him will give the Devils a great chance to win it all.

New York Rangers

Odds: 0

The New York Rangers needed seven games to advance in both of their first two series. All of those games finally caught up with the Eastern Conference's top seed as they were eliminated by the New Jersey Devils in the Conference Finals.

New York's play in the defensive end wasn't as strong against the Devils, and goalie Henrik Lundqvist wasn't able to bail them out this time around. He had carried the team on his back for most of the season, but even he can only do so much.

Luckily for Rangers fans, the team has a strong base of talent and the emergence of Chris Kreider in the playoffs should lead to a bright future. That said, the players have to view their elimination as a missed opportunity and use it as motivation for next season.

Phoenix Coyotes

Odds: 0

The Phoenix Coyotes deserve credit for exceeding expectations this season, but they were simply no match for the red-hot Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference Finals. The Coyotes were ousted in five games.

When push came to shove, Phoenix didn't have enough offensive firepower to hang with the Kings, who were able to break down the team's defensive wall. Antoine Vermette was the only player to reach a double-digit point total in the postseason.

Having found their franchise goalie in Mike Smith, the offseason plan should be focused on adding more scoring punch to the roster. The league still controls the team, so securing new ownership would also provide a boost.

St. Louis Blues

Odds: 0

The St. Louis Blues relied on strong goaltending to earn the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference this season, and that same goaltending was the reason they were swept by the Los Angeles Kings. 

With playoff-tested goalie Jaroslav Halak not able to be a factor in the series because of an injury, Brian Elliott had to start and he played terribly. 

Elliott was one most consistent goalies this season and dominated for most of the year, but the Kings' offense woke up in this series and found it easy to score on him.

Injuries to key players such as defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and the poor play of Elliott were the reasons for the Blues' disappointing playoff upset.

Philadelphia Flyers

Odds: 0

The Philadelphia Flyers came into their second round series with the New Jersey Devils expecting to set the tone physically and score a lot of goals, just like they did in their first round series win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The outcome was quite the opposite, as the Devils dominated the series with an aggressive forecheck and strong goaltending from future hall of famer Martin Brodeur.

After taking Game 1 of the series in overtime, the Flyers were a completely different team. The Devils played harder, they were more aggressive, and they did a better job of capitalizing on their scoring chances.

People will point to the poor play of Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov as a major reason why the team lost to the Devils, but the defense and top two offensive lines were subpar throughout the series.

Nashville Predators

Odds: 0

The Nashville Predators were dominated in five games by the Phoenix Coyotes in the second round, and now enter an offseason that will drastically affect the future of the franchise.

The Predators couldn't find a way to beat Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith in this series, who thwarted almost every scoring chance he faced. The suspensions of forwards Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn for staying out past curfew certainly had an effect on the team and was a distraction.

Elite defensemen Ryan Suter (UFA) and Shea Weber (RFA) are free agents this summer, and losing either one could ruin the team's chances of contending for the Stanley Cup in the near future.

Nashville will do all they can to re-sign the defense tandem, but it's unlikely that both stay with the Predators long term.

Washington Capitals

Odds: 0

The Washington Capitals surprised everyone by upsetting the defending champion Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round, then taking the No. 1 seed New York Rangers to seven games before falling a goal short of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Capitals head coach Dale Hunter installed a defense first style of play that emphasized blocking shots and being physical on every shift, which was a bold move considering all the skill the team has, but to his credit it was a very effective strategy.

Even though Washington didn't reach their goal this season, the strong play of rookie goaltender Braden Holtby in the playoffs is a tremendous positive to take into next season.

Vancouver Canucks

Odds: 0

The Vancouver Canucks entered the playoffs as the prohibitive favorites to come out of the West just like they did last year, but they were ousted by the Los Angeles Kings. Goalie Roberto Luongo was benched and the Sedin twins simply didn't play up to their usual level.

Teams who who have won the Presidents Trophy as the regular season's best squad have struggled mightily in the playoffs over the past several years and the Canucks are just the latest example of the regular season meaning nothing come playoff time.

Boston Bruins

Odds: 0

As surprising as it was to see the Canucks get eliminated, it may have been even more shocking that the Boston Bruins were knocked out. Neither of last year's Stanley Cup teams lasted long and there certainly has to be a ton of disappointment in Boston as they were built for playoff success, but were ultimately beaten by the Washington Capitals and their rookie goalie.

Things didn't always go smoothly for the Bruins during the regular season, so there were some warning signs, but most still expected them to be a major contender. Tim Thomas wasn't at his best between the pipes and scoring was inconsistent, though, so Boston finds itself on the outside looking in.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Odds: 0

Despite only being the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Pittsburgh Penguins were favored to win it all at the start of the playoffs. Not only had they been successful in the playoffs in the past, but they had the best player in the league during the regular season in Evgeni Malkin, as well as a healthy Sidney Crosby in the fold.

Offense wasn't an issue for the Pens against the Philadelphia Flyers, but defense was. The Pittsburgh defense was atrocious and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury looked like he had never been in a big spot before despite winning a Stanley Cup. That led to the Penguins' demise.

Detroit Red Wings

Odds: 0

Every season the Detroit Red Wings are among the best teams in the league and this year was no different. They only finished third in an incredibly difficult division, but they were the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference and most expected them to beat the Nashville Predators. Nashville's defense proved to be impenetrable, however.

The Red Wings' puck possession style didn't fluster the Predators and Detroit didn't get good enough production from wither Pavel Datsyuk or Henrik Zetterberg. Detroit still has plenty of talent, but you have to wonder how much longer they can compete with most of their top players aging quickly. 

Chicago Blackhawks

Odds: 0

It was no secret that the Chicago Blackhawks entered the postseason with a lot of question marks, but because of their Stanley Cup win a couple years ago, most thought they could overcome them and beat the Phoenix Coyotes. Goaltending proved to be their Achilles heel, however, as Corey Crawford  simply wasn't good enough to beat Mike Smith on the other end.

Jonathan Toews returned from a concussion and played well for the Blackhawks, but they lost Marian Hossa thanks to a dirty hit from Raffi Torres, and that really compromised Chicago's offense. The pieces are still in place for future greatness, but the Hawks must find a reliable goalie in the offseason.

Florida Panthers

Odds: 0

Few people gave the Florida Panthers a chance in the playoffs even though they were the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference and won the Southeast Division. The prevailing thought was that they backed into the playoffs and would be easily beaten by the New Jersey Devils. They were ultimately eliminated, but it took two overtimes in Game 7 to do so.

Florida had a 3-2 lead in the series and battled back from two goals down in Game 7 to force overtime, so it was on the precipice of something special. The Panthers couldn't get the job done, but their turnaround this season was spectacular and there is plenty of reason for hope moving forward.

San Jose Sharks

Odds: 0

For the past several years the San Jose Sharks have been a team that has dominated the regular season, but laid an egg in the playoffs. This season was a bit different, though, as the Sharks never got their feet under them. They were only able to garner the seventh seed in the Western Conference and didn't put up much of a fight against a blatantly superior St. Louis Blues squad.

The Sharks have more offensive talent than you can shake a stick at with Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Logan Couture and others, but they didn't come through on the big stage as usual, and both the defense and goaltending simply weren't good enough.

Ottawa Senators

Odds: 0

They were widely regarded as the worst team in the playoffs, but perhaps no first-round loser turned in a more valiant effort than the Ottawa Senators. Despite being at a huge deficit in terms of talent against the New York Rangers, the Senators were able to push the series to Game 7 and even had a 3-2 series lead on the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed.

Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist came up big in Game 7 when he needed to, though, as the Sens put on a lot of pressure late in the contest. Ottawa has a lot of improvements to make, but several promising, young players gained valuable postseason experience this year.