Bodog tabs the Vancouver Canucks as the favorites to win the 2012 Stanley Cup
Jun 16, 2011, 4:18 PM EDT
Getty Images Chin up, Vancouver Canucks fans.
Sure, your team came just one win short of their first-ever Stanley Cup victory. OK, your city is reeling from the ugly riots that broke out last night (although at least one couple had some shameless fun, I guess). And yes, you might be doubting your franchise goalie and those talented Sedin twins, who sported identically ugly -4 ratings in Game 7.
That being said, the odds are on your side, at least if you ask the people at Bodog. They gave the Canucks the highest odds of winning the Stanley Cup in 2012 (5/1) and placed the defending champion Boston Bruins in second place (8/1 – feel free to share your agreement or disagreement with that prediction in this poll). The Washington Capitals (17/2), Philadelphia Flyers (9/1) and Pittsburgh Penguins (9/1) rounded out the top five.
Here’s the full list, if you’re the curious and/or betting type. (Sorry Panthers fans.)
Odds to win the 2012 Stanley Cup
Vancouver Canucks 5/1
Boston Bruins 8/1
Washington Capitals 17/2
Philadelphia Flyers 9/1
Pittsburgh Penguins 9/1
San Jose Sharks 9/1
Detroit Red Wings 12/1
Tampa Bay Lightning 12/1
Chicago Blackhawks 15/1
Los Angeles Kings 16/1
Anaheim Ducks 22/1
Montreal Canadiens 22/1
Buffalo Sabres 25/1
Nashville Predators 25/1
New Jersey Devils 30/1
Phoenix Coyotes 35/1
Calgary Flames 35/1
Carolina Hurricanes 35/1
Dallas Stars 35/1
New York Rangers 35/1
St. Louis Blues 45/1
Toronto Maple Leafs 60/1
Ottawa Senators 60/1
Colorado Avalanche 65/1
Edmonton Oilers 70/1
Minnesota Wild 70/1
New York Islanders 70/1
Winnipeg 80/1
Columbus Blue Jackets 90/1
Florida Panthers 125/1
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- homelanddefense - Jun 16, 2011 at 4:25 PM
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I would have Pitt higher, they were without Crosby and Malkin down the stretch and were still dangerous this year.
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- sknut - Jun 16, 2011 at 4:34 PM
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While thats true its always a tricky thing with concussions, I am sure their odds will increase once Crosby gets back on the ice.
I wonder who the odds on favorites were at the end of last years finals. I would think Pittsburg or Philly.
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- warpstonebc - Jun 16, 2011 at 5:03 PM
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I’m surprised. Vancouver faces more roster upheaval than Boston. One of their top 4 d-men is probably going to leave and they need to desperately improve their 2nd line (Mikael Samuelsson is not a long term solution).
Certainly the core of the Canucks remains strong, but I thought Boston would be a lock for top pick.
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- homelanddefense - Jun 17, 2011 at 10:28 AM
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I think its because many people feel the Bruins are a very good (not great) team that got hot at the right time. Im guessing they dont think they can replicate that next year. Plus Thomas cant the THAT good again can he?
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- warpstonebc - Jun 17, 2011 at 11:31 AM
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I guess that makes sense. Though, the Bruins are built and coached to be the quintessential chippy playoff team. Their regular season doesn’t count, because they’ll always have an advantage when the calls get looser in the post-season.
It’s why I find rankings like this to be so much BS. Very few teams that are good on paper have the physical and mental make-up to go deep into the playoffs.
With all due respect, how do the Sharks and Caps keep getting the oddmaker’s picks when their star power gets pulled apart in the playoffs? I can see them having a small advantage but not enough to warrant a large spread between their odds and blue-collar teams like the Predators.
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- polegojim - Jun 16, 2011 at 7:10 PM
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Odds are…. DON’T bet on it.
The Canucks ‘one game from the Stanley Cup’ effort…or horrendous lack thereof…. left many more Vancouver DOUBTS than believers.
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- Chris Ross - Jun 17, 2011 at 4:40 AM
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The game was just not a good one for the Vancouver Canucks. I think it showed in the end that the Bruins really deserved the cup more than the Canucks even though Vancouver was supposed to be the better team. If they were the better team they sure didn’t show it by getting shalacked in 4 out of the 7 games. Not being able to score any goals, no matter how good a goalie is playing, is absolutely inexcusable. Canuck fans at Rogers Arena wanted a reason to cheer in game 7 and they didn’t get one. It was a sad way to end an unbelievable season for the Vancouver Canucks. It’s going to be interesting to see how they react in the off-season.
