NHL Playoff Bracket 2015: Postseason Matchups, Analyzing Stanley Cup Odds

The 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs got underway on Wednesday night. The four winning teams from the opening day of action are now just 15 victories from glory. There will be plenty of twists and turns along their journey toward a championship, of course.

What makes this year's NHL postseason even more interesting is the lack of a dominant team. While the New York Rangers are the favorite, it's not an overwhelming position. The race is truly wide open, which should lead to plenty of entertaining games along the way.

With that in mind, let's check out how the bracket shapes up courtesy of the league's official Twitter feed. That's followed by a look at the current Stanley Cup odds and some analysis of them from a trio of different angles.

2015 NHL Playoff Bracket

Stanley Cup Odds Breakdown

Rank	Team	Line
1	New York Rangers	17-4
T-2	St. Louis Blues	8-1
T-2	Chicago Blackhawks	8-1
4	Tampa Bay Lightning	17-2
5	Anaheim Ducks	10-1
T-6	Minnesota Wild	12-1
T-6	Montreal Canadiens	12-1
8	Washington Capitals	13-1
9	Nashville Predators	15-1
T-10	New York Islanders	16-1
T-10	Pittsburgh Penguins	16-1
T-12	Ottawa Senators	18-1
T-12	Vancouver Canucks	18-1
T-14	Detroit Red Wings	20-1
T-14	Winnipeg Jets	20-1
16	Calgary Flames	22-1

Favorite: New York Rangers

The Rangers are the rightful favorite. They captured the Presidents' Trophy with the most points (113) during the regular season and also had the best goal differential (plus-60). After reaching the Final last year, they are the team to beat as they look to take the next step.

As always, there are questions about how the team will stand up against the added pressure of being expected to win. That's especially true in a major market like New York City. Dan Rosen of NHL.com provided comments from coach Alain Vigneault, who feels his group is prepared.

"I believe that we've been hunted since Day One," Vigneault said. "Any time you've got the Stanley Cup champions or the Stanley Cup finalists, any team playing against them, and I used to do the same thing, you're telling your team, 'We've gotta use them as a benchmark.' I'm sure that's what the other 28 teams were doing when they were playing against us."

New York checks all the boxes. It has a go-to scorer in Rick Nash, good secondary offense from Mats Zuccarello and Chris Kreider, among others, a lockdown defensive pair in Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi and Henrik Lundqvist in goal.

So it's hard to argue against them as the top choice. That said, the margin isn't very big over the rest of the field. That means from an odds perspective the value isn't the greatest at slightly over 4-1 as they get ready to start a tricky Round 1 clash with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Best Value: Montreal Canadiens

Montreal quietly finished with the second-most points in the league behind the Rangers. That's mostly because the Habs don't have a standout offensive superstar. Max Pacioretty did net 37 goals, but you don't hear his name mentioned among the NHL's elite.

Instead, the Canadiens are a team built on goaltending and defense. Carey Price, who finished the campaign with a goals-against average below 2.00 and nine shutouts, leads the charge. The dynamic P.K. Subban leads the defensive corps.

It's a team that, when at it's best, can completely shut down an opponent—an invaluable trait in close playoff games to say the least. Stephen Whyno of The Canadian Press (via Yahoo Sports) passed along Subban's thoughts about how they win games.

"We had different guys stepping up at key moments and making big plays, and not just putting pucks in the net, but whether it's blocking shots, making solid defensive plays or making a big hit at the right time," Subban said. "We're going to need those plays, and they're going to prove huge for us in the playoffs."

That was on full display in their Game 1 win over the Ottawa Senators. Brian Flynn, a deadline acquisition from the Buffalo Sabres, had three points. If unsung heroes like that continue to step up, they are capable of a very deep run.

Worst Value: St. Louis Blues

The Blues' distinction is based more on the road they face than their talent level. The roster itself has no shortage of star power, highlighted by Vladimir Tarasenko, Alexander Steen and T.J. Oshie. That's why they finished tied for the most points in the West.

Alas, to win the Cup they would have to travel a road that could include the Minnesota Wild, Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks and then the East winner. That's four straight extremely difficult series to navigate in a row.

They are capable of winning any of those matchups individually. But when you take them as a whole, and the cumulative effect from the likely extended battles, it's an uphill task. Sean McIndoe of Grantland noted his thoughts on St. Louis' opening series:

It's also worth noting the Blues have an unsettled goaltending situation with Jake Allen and Brian Elliott. That could become a distraction if neither of them can get hot at the right time. That combined with the tough road equates to a lack of value as one of the second choices on the board.