It’s a little over halfway through the season and as teams are making the push towards playoffs, it’s only fair to ask the question that’s on every hockey fan’s mind: who will be the 2017/18 Stanley Cup Champion? So let’s break down the contenders:
Tampa Bay Lightning:
After failing to make it to the playoffs last season by a mere few points, the Lightning have come back to prove that they’re worthy of the Cup. Not only do they sit at the top of the Atlantic Division, they’re at the top of the Eastern Conference as well. Andrei Vasilevskiy is on his way to his best season yet, the 23-year-old posts a .923 SV% and has seven shutouts so far. Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov are having career years as well, Kucherov has 59 points in 55 games while Stamkos has 64 points. This makes them a good contender for the Cup this year.
Vegas Golden Knights:
The Golden Knights have managed to surprise everyone – in their inaugural season, they continue to make history and prove that they’re a force to be reckoned with. After making history with the most wins as an expansion team, the Golden Knights sit pretty at the top of the Western Conference. On paper, the team shouldn’t be as good as they are, but they continue to show the league that they’re worthy of making history. William Karlsson, who came from the Blue Jackets in the draft, leads the team in goals while David Perron, from the Blues, leads in assists. It wouldn’t be surprising if the final was the Tampa Bay Lightning vs the Vegas Golden Knights, now would it?
Nashville Predators:
After making an appearance at last year’s Stanley Cup final and ultimately losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Predators are ready to make a run for the Cup again. With solid goaltending in Pekka Rinne and having Roman Josi and PK Subban on the blue line, the Preds have a good chance of returning to the finals. The Preds are first in the Central Division with a 33-12-9 record, with Rinne contributing to 28 of those wins. With Rinne at the top of his game, the Predators are on their way to a possible first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Toronto Maple Leafs:
There’s no denying that the Leafs are on a roll this year. While sitting third in the Atlantic, Toronto is pushing to win their first Stanley Cup since 1967. The Leafs’ show great potential with their strong scoring rookies and outstanding goaltending. Frederik Andersen posts a .921 SV% with a 2.65 GAA while the young guns William Nylander, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner have put up over 40 points each so far. If the Leafs acquire a top 2 defencemen before the trade deadline, they have a good chance to make it far in the playoffs.
Washington Capitals:
The Capitals are once again on pace for the President’s Trophy as they lead the Metropolitan Division with 70 points. Alex Ovechkin leads the team with 33 goals while Evgeny Kuznetsov leads with 38 assists. They sit 8th in the league in goals per game and 7th in power-play percentage. The Capitals never fail to make the playoffs, however, the team does struggle to get past the second round of playoffs. Could this be the year they break that curse?
Winnipeg Jets:
After being one of two Canadian teams that failed to make the playoffs last season, the Jets have stepped up their game. Sitting at third in the Western Conference and second in the Central Division, the Jets have made an amazing comeback from last year. Connor Hellebuyck changed his game completely, now posting a .923 SV% and 2.35 GAA. His record is 28-8-8 with five recorded shutouts so far. Young gun Patrik Laine continues to impress with 25 goals so far this season. Could it be the year that a Canadian team takes home the Stanley Cup?
There’s no question that the NHL standings are tight this season. While there are so many contenders for the Cup, my guess is that a Tampa Bay Lightning vs Vegas Golden Knights final is on its way.
Hockey Adventures 