Stanley Cup Playoffs 2015: Title Picture, Standings, Bracket Scores and Odds
The first round is already over for one team, but the outlook of the 2015 NHL playoffs is far from clear as Thursday's four-game schedule looms.
While the Anaheim Ducks completed the sweep of the Winnipeg Jets in four games, every other series is still alive—although two have the chance to end in five games Thursday. But even to this point, certain clubs have already asserted themselves as surprisingly dangerous while others are dropping the ball.
Here's a look into how the playoffs are shaking out at the moment, including the upcoming schedule, championship odds and a look into who's emerging in each conference.
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NHL Playoff Schedule for Thursday, April 23
| 6:30 p.m. | Tampa Bay vs. Detroit (Game 4) | NBCSN | DET leads 2-1 |
| 7 p.m. | New York Islanders at Washington (Game 5) | CNBC | Tied 2-2 |
| 9:30 p.m. | Chicago at Nashville (Game 5) | NBCSN | CHI leads 3-1 |
| 10 p.m. | Calgary at Vancouver (Game 5) | CNBC | CGY leads 3-1 |
Bracket available at NHL.com.
Odds to Win 2015 Stanley Cup
| New York Rangers | 13-4 |
| Anaheim Ducks | 17-4 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 5-1 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 7-1 |
| St. Louis Blues | 10-1 |
| Calgary Flames | 12-1 |
| Minnesota Wild | 14-1 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 15-1 |
| Washington Capitals | 16-1 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 16-1 |
| New York Islanders | 18-1 |
| Nashville Predators | 50-1 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 50-1 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 66-1 |
| Ottawa Senators | 100-1 |
Note: Odds courtesy of Odds Shark.
Western Conference Title Picture
| St. Louis Blues vs. Minnesota Wild | Tied 2-2 |
| Nashville Predators vs. Chicago Blackhawks | CHI leads 3-1 |
| Anaheim Ducks def. Winnipeg Jets | ANA wins 4-0 |
| Vancouver Canucks vs. Calgary Flames | CGY leads 3-1 |
Even amid a tough first-round matchup with a similarly skilled team, there was no change at the top of the Western Conference, as the Anaheim Ducks took care of business before everyone else.
Seven of the eight series are still carrying on as of Thursday, but the Ducks were all smiles Wednesday night after they put together their most complete game of the series and ousted the Winnipeg Jets 5-2 in Game 4. After finishing with the conference's best record but facing an opening-round matchup that was expected to give them trouble, the Ducks are marching on to face the winner of the Calgary-Vancouver series.
It didn't come easy in Round 1 for Anaheim despite finishing its opponent before anyone else, as the Jets often had the Ducks on their heels before succumbing to late comebacks. ESPN Stats and Info shared a jarring number to show how the Ducks may be susceptible in the future:
Their potential future opponent also has the chance to wrap things up quickly, as the Calgary Flames visit Vancouver Thursday looking to end the series in five. The Flames are becoming battle-tested as they go up against their rivals, and they're peaking behind strong defense and the goaltending of Jonas Hiller.
There have been few surprises on that side of the West, but the other side begs to differ.
The Minnesota Wild had many heads turning after winning 11 of their final 12 road games to close out the regular season, but they are being overlooked by nobody after winning two of three to start out their series with the St. Louis Blues. They dropped Game 4 in embarrassing fashion after the Blues tied the series up with a 6-1 win, but it has every indication that it will go seven games.
It's hard to paint the Chicago Blackhawks' 3-1 lead over the Nashville Predators as a similar sort of surprise, but the Preds did have home-ice advantage as the better seed. Hapless goaltending from Corey Crawford had the Blackhawks doomed early in the series, but Scott Darling has come out of nowhere to revitalize Chicago's once-fleeting Stanley Cup hopes.
With an underdog story mixed in with some championship favorites all featuring star-studded rosters, the Western Conference is going to be a dogfight up until the very end.
Eastern Conference Title Picture
| Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators | MON leads 3-1 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Detroit Red Wings | DET leads 2-1 |
| New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins | NYR leads 3-1 |
| Washington Capitals vs. New York Islanders | Tied 2-2 |
Even when the series are short in the NHL playoffs, it's rare that they aren't well-earned and furiously fought for. The Presidents' Trophy-winning New York Rangers are learning that as they embark on their quest for the franchise's first Stanley Cup in more than 20 years.
The Rangers hold a 3-1 series lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins heading into Game 5 at Madison Square Garden, but that commanding advantage didn't come easy. Every game has been a one-goal affair, with the Rangers having to hold on tight in Game 3 and pull out an overtime victory in Game 4 to steal two games in Pittsburgh that could have easily gone the other way.
Two teams not too ecstatic to see the Rangers about to move on are the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals, who are mired in a 2-2 series and are set to face the Rangers next should they advance.
Both squads have the chance to give New York trouble in the next round, with the Islanders boasting scoring demon John Tavares and the Capitals always bound to go off with Alex Ovechkin and an improved defense. But don't be surprised if they beat each other to a pulp before that in a series set to go seven games.
On the other side of things, the Montreal Canadiens looked poised to complete the sweep of the pesky Ottawa Senators Wednesday before dropping a 1-0 affair. The series heads back to Montreal, but Ottawa is intent that it is back in the series, as the team's Twitter account noted:
The winner of that all-Canadian series could end up facing a surprise foe. The Detroit Red Wings sneaked into the postseason and had the chips stacked against them against the offensively loaded Tampa Bay Lightning, but the Wings lead the series 2-1 heading into a pivotal Game 4 in Detroit.
Every team other than Ottawa and Pittsburgh out East has shown the capability to get hot and make a Cup run, but there's no arguing that the Rangers and Canadiens are in pole position to meet in the conference finals. Their defensive identity will shine through against the flashy offenses of Tampa Bay and Washington, leading to a potential matchup for the old-school types between New York and Montreal.
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