NHL Playoffs 2021: Updated Schedule, Stanley Cup Odds and Picks

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

The Tampa Bay Lightning have added reinforcements for the Stanley Cup playoffs, and their quest to repeat as champions is off to a strong start.

Despite being on the road for their first two games of the postseason, the Lightning have taken a 2-0 lead in their first-round series against the Florida Panthers.

Florida may be the No. 2 seed, but No. 3-seeded Tampa Bay has outscored it 8-5 thus far. Since the end of the regular season, the Lightning have brought back numerous players who were out injured, including Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman. Kucherov missed the entire regular season following hip surgery.

If Tampa Bay repeats as the Stanley Cup champion, it will be the first team to win two in a row since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017.

However, there are plenty of other strong contenders for the Cup, as well as several that have also gotten off to great starts this postseason. So the Lightning are going to have some competition down the stretch on their quest to repeat.

Here's a look at the upcoming playoff schedule, the latest Stanley Cup odds and predictions for how things will unfold this postseason.

David Becker/Associated Press

Wednesday, May 19

Game 3: No. 2 Washington Capitals at No. 3 Boston Bruins, 6:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Game 2: No. 4 Nashville Predators at No. 1 Carolina Hurricanes, 8 p.m. ET, CNBC

Game 1: No. 3 Winnipeg Jets at No. 2 Edmonton Oilers, 9 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Game 2: No. 4 St. Louis Blues at No. 1 Colorado Avalanche, 10:30 p.m. ET, CNBC

Thursday, May 20

Game 3: No. 2 Florida Panthers at No. 3 Tampa Bay Lightning, 6:30 p.m. ET, USA Network

Game 3: No. 1 Pittsburgh Penguins at No. 4 New York Islanders, 7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Game 1: No. 4 Montreal Canadiens at No. 1 Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 p.m. ET, NHL Network

Game 3: No. 2 Vegas Golden Knights at No. 3 Minnesota Wild, 9:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Friday, May 21

Game 4: No. 2 Washington Capitals at No. 3 Boston Bruins, 6:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Game 3: No. 1 Carolina Hurricanes at No. 4 Nashville Predators, 7 p.m. ET, USA Network

Game 2: No. 3 Winnipeg Jets at No. 2 Edmonton Oilers, 9 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Game 3: No. 1 Colorado Avalanche at No. 4 St. Louis Blues, 9:30 p.m. ET, USA Network

Saturday, May 22

Game 4: No. 2 Florida Panthers at No. 3 Tampa Bay Lightning, 12:30 p.m. ET, CNBC

Game 4: No. 1 Pittsburgh Penguins at No. 4 New York Islanders, 3 p.m. ET, NBC

Game 2: No. 4 Montreal Canadiens at No. 1 Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. ET, CNBC

Game 4: No. 2 Vegas Golden Knights at No. 3 Minnesota Wild, 8 p.m. ET, NBC

Sunday, May 23

Game 4: No. 1 Carolina Hurricanes at No. 4 Nashville Predators, 2:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Game 4: No. 1 Colorado Avalanche at No. 4 St. Louis Blues, 5 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Game 5: No. 3 Boston Bruins at No. 2 Washington Capitals, 7 p.m. ET, USA Network

Game 3: No. 2 Edmonton Oilers at No. 3 Winnipeg Jets, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Colorado Avalanche: +325 (bet $100 to win $325)

Tampa Bay Lightning: +600

Toronto Maple Leafs: +650

Carolina Hurricanes: +750

Vegas Golden Knights: +750

Boston Bruins: +850

Pittsburgh Penguins: +1300

Minnesota Wild: +1800

Edmonton Oilers: +2000

New York Islanders: +2000

Washington Capitals: +2100

Montreal Canadiens: +3500

Winnipeg Jets: +4000

Florida Panthers: +5000

Nashville Predators: +7500

St. Louis Blues: +8000

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Peter Power/Associated Press

All 16 teams are still alive in the quest for the Stanley Cup, but it's becoming clear which teams are more legitimate championship contenders than others. So it's not too early to predict how things will look once there's only team standing from each division.

Because of the realigned divisions for the 2020-21 season, the first two rounds of the playoffs will consist of series between teams from the same divisions (as was the case during the regular season). That means there will be one team from each of the four divisions left following those first two rounds.

In the Central, the last team standing will be the Lightning. They may be the No. 3 seed, but they are healthier than they have been all season. And this is a team that knows what it takes to make a championship run, having done so during unusual circumstances in the NHL bubble in 2020.

With a 2-0 series lead, Tampa Bay is well on its way to beating Florida. And while it will be tested in the second round against Carolina, it should pull out a series win in five or six games.

There won't be any huge surprises out of the North and West Divisions, as the No. 1 seeds should advance past the first two rounds in both.

The Maple Leafs haven't opened their first-round series against the Canadiens yet, but Toronto was the clear top team in the North this season. It will face a greater challenge in the second round, when it will likely play Edmonton. But the Maple Leafs are hungry for postseason success, having not won a playoff series since 2004.

The Avalanche will emerge from the West, as they will easily take down the Blues in the first round and then outlast the Golden Knights in what should be a competitive second-round series. However, Colorado has the all-around talent to make a deep playoff run.

Things may be most unpredictable in the East. Any of the four teams could be the last one standing. However, the prediction here is that it will be the Capitals, who will need to rely on their offense to put up big goal totals to advance.

Washington started veteran Craig Anderson at goaltender in Game 2 of its first-round series against Boston, as rookie Vitek Vanecek was injured in Game 1 and Ilya Samsonov is only just returning after being on the COVID-19 list.

Still, the Caps have enough offensive talent to make up for it, and that will help them get past the Bruins and then either the Penguins or Islanders.

So it will come down to Washington, Toronto, Tampa Bay and Colorado battling it out for the Stanley Cup. Who will come out on top?

It's finally time for the Cup to make its way back to Canada. The Maple Leafs have had hot streaks throughout the season, but they may have saved their best for last. Their deep lineup, led by NHL goals leader Auston Matthews, will be tough for other teams to match up against.

That means Toronto will win its first Stanley Cup since 1967, becoming the first Canadian team to do so since Montreal in 1993.

Prediction: Maple Leafs win Stanley Cup

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