Updated Stanley Cup Odds for Each NHL Conference Finalist

After two rounds of intense playoff hockey, the field of 16 teams in pursuit of the Stanley Cup is down to its final four.

On a historical note, this year's four conference finalists are the last four Stanley Cup champions, which hasn't happened since 1945, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

The NHL has enjoyed a lot of parity since the 2004-05 lockout with seven different champions in the last seven years. But that will change a bit in 2013 with the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings or Chicago Blackhawks becoming the first team to win multiple championships in the salary cap era (2005-06 to the present).

Let's look at the latest Stanley Cup odds for each of the teams still alive in the 2013 NHL playoffs.

Boston Bruins

After reaching the second round by becoming the first team in NHL history to overcome a three-goal deficit in the third period of a Game 7, the Boston Bruins made quick work of the New York Rangers to win their conference semifinals series in five games.

The Bruins are making their second Eastern Conference Final appearance in the last three years. The last time they made it this far, they beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games en route to a Stanley Cup title in 2011.

Boston's opponent in the third round is the Pittsburgh Penguins, who dominated the regular season to earn the conference's top seed.

The key for the Bruins to win this series and reach the Cup final is to get a strong and consistent performance from starting goaltender Tuukka Rask, who has put up great numbers so far. He allowed an average of just two goals per game against the Rangers with a .936 save percentage in the second round.

But the Penguins offense that Rask will face in the conference finals is unlike any he has seen in the postseason. Pittsburgh has incredible depth at forward and has scored the most goals of any team in the playoffs. The Penguins also lead playoff teams in power-play goals (13).

The Bruins don't have the same offensive firepower as the Penguins, but they do have a deeper and more talented blue line and an advantage in net. If Boston defends well and Rask gives it a chance to win each game, the Bruins will win the series and reach the Cup final.

Nick Goss' Odds: 9/4

Bovada's Odds: 9/2

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins were the favorite to win the Stanley Cup before the playoffs started. After posting an 8-3 record through the first two rounds, there is no reason to feel differently about their chances of winning a championship.

After a wake-up call against the New York Islanders in the first round, Pittsburgh found another gear with a dominant Round 2 performance versus the Ottawa Senators, outscoring them 22-11 in five games.

The Penguins will play an opponent in the conference finals that has very few weaknesses. The Bruins have four quality lines, a deep defensive corps, an elite goaltender and a roster full of former Stanley Cup champions.

Boston is arguably the toughest team to eliminate from the playoffs, evidenced by the fact that its last five series losses were in a Game 7.

It's unlikely that Pittsburgh will maintain its playoff-leading 4.27 goals-per-game average against a great defensive team like Boston, which will put an increased amount of pressure on Penguins starting goaltender Tomas Vokoun to have a solid series.

Vokoun has been phenomenal since he replaced the struggling Marc-Andre Fleury in Game 5 of the Islanders series. He is 6-1 with a 1.85 GAA and a .941 save percentage in seven starts. For the Penguins to win this series and reach the Cup final, Vokoun must be consistent, not give up soft goals that deflate the confidence of his team and limit rebounds.

Pittsburgh won't win the Stanley Cup by relying on its offense to make up for the team's mistakes defensively. The Penguins will need great goaltending and responsible defensive play to beat the Bruins and whichever team wins the Western Conference if they make the finals.

Nick Goss' Odds: 8/5

Bovada's Odds: 7/5

Los Angeles Kings

With their Game 7 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, the Los Angles Kings became the first defending champion since the 2009 Detroit Red Wings to win two playoff rounds.

The next step for the Kings is to become the first team to capture back-to-back Stanley Cup titles since the Red Wings in 1998. But first, they have a series with the Presidents' Trophy champions, the Chicago Blackhawks, in the Western Conference Final.

Los Angeles only scored 14 goals in its second-round series versus San Jose, but that wasn't a problem since starting goaltender Jonathan Quick saved 95 percent of the 205 shots he faced.

Quick is the best goaltender in the NHL and the reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner. He leads the playoffs in save percentage (.948), GAA (1.50), shutouts (three) and is tied for the most wins (eight). Quick can win a series almost by himself because of his clutch play and consistency, which gives his teammates confidence late in games.

As a deep, experienced team with the best goaltender in the world, the Kings are the favorites to win the West and the Stanley Cup. This team's roster is perfectly built for the playoffs with four quality lines, a talented blue line, strong goaltending and a physical style of play.

Most impressively, Los Angeles has displayed a similar level of hunger and desire to win the Stanley Cup that they did in the 2012 postseason.

Nick Goss' Odds: 7/5

Bovada's Odds: 14/4

Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks overcame a 3-1 playoff series deficit for the first time in franchise history on Wednesday by eliminating the rival Detroit Red Wings in overtime of Game 7. It was a display of remarkable character and resiliency from the Original Six club, which will now host the Los Angeles Kings in an anticipated Western Conference Finals series.

Like most playoff series, the goaltending matchup will play a central role in the outcome, and both starting goaltenders in the West finals struggled against each other during the regular season.

Per TSN's stat guy:

"

Quick: 4.04 GAA, .857 save % in 3 games vs Blackhawks this season...Crawford: 3.53 GAA, .877 save % in 2 games vs Kings

— THE STATS GUY (@TH2NSTATSGUY) May 30, 2013"

The Blackhawks were able to defeat the Red Wings without consistent performances from star players Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane (three goals combined in final four games of Round 2). This must improve for Chicago to score enough goals on Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, who allowed just 10 goals against a Sharks team with a high-powered offense in the semifinals.

But as long as Chicago gets good goaltending from Corey Crawford and continues to kill penalties at a near-perfect rate (playoff-leading 97.6 percent penalty kill), it will be very difficult to beat four times in a seven-game series.

Having home-ice advantage also gives the Blackhawks an important edge over every opponent they will face in this year's playoffs. The atmosphere at the United Center in May and June is simply amazing.

A large portion of this Blackhawks team has Stanley Cup-winning experience and knows what it takes to win big games in the playoffs. This is a determined group of players who are highly motivated to get back to the finals after two straight disappointing exits from the postseason.

Nick Goss' Odds: 13/4

Bovada's Odds: 15/4

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Nicholas Goss is an NHL Lead Writer at Bleacher Report. Nick was a credentialed reporter at the 2011 Stanley Cup Final and 2012 NHL playoffs, and he is also a credentialed writer at the 2013 NHL playoffs in Boston.