The NHL is reaching its conclusion. Only four of the league’s best teams has to offer remain. We’ve got one competitor from Canada left. That team is the all-offence unit of the Edmonton Oilers. They face off against the defensive stalwarts that are the Dallas Stars.
On the other side of the bracket, we have two early favourites for the crown. The Florida Panthers made it to the Stanley Cup Finals last year. They’ll be banking on that experience to make it again. Standing in their way are the New York Rangers in a clash between two very well-rounded teams.
How it went for Ontario’s hockey teams
Despite the prevalence of hockey in Canada, the NHL hasn’t had a Canadian-based champion for three decades. In the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Canada’s last hope was the Edmonton Oilers. They beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-1 in the First Round and then the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 in the Second Round.
For Ontario fans, though, perhaps Canada’s best shot at taking back the crown fell at the first hurdle. The Toronto Maple Leafs came so close to escaping the First Round. Unfortunately, a Game 7 sudden-death overtime goal sunk the Buds. In the same round, the Winnipeg Jets bowed out, leaving just the Oilers and Canucks to faceoff.
While it’d be great to see the Stanley Cup return north of the border, NHL fans love their rivalries. You’d seldom spot a Buds fan back the Montréal Canadiens just because they may win the Cup, for example. So, these fans can turn to the more neutral hockey betting options.
At the Ontario casino, three of the most popular slots are designed for hockey fans. The classic Break Away proved so popular when it arrived that it spawned a couple of sequels. Now, players can spin the original, Break Away Deluxe, and Break Away Lucky Wilds. Naturally, the more recent Lucky Wilds has the better features to bet and spin for.
A Canadian Cup win looks far out
At the time of writing, the New York Rangers had edged into place as the favourites. Going 2-1 up in the series against the Panthers, NYR still has a long way to go. Importantly, their go-ahead game was won in overtime. It was also won after blowing a two-goal lead in the third.
Many pundits, including Sportsnet, see the Oilers-Stars series as being too close to call. The Oilers, naturally, boast the more fluid and high-calibre forward corps. The Stars, however, have been one of, if not the best defensive team in the league over the last couple of seasons.
The problem for the Oilers, however, would be coming out of the frying pan and into the fire. The Stars are strong on the offensive, but they’re not as much the complete, elite-tier, all-rounded team as the Panthers.
The best defence can certainly win the Cup, so it’d be a real feather in the cap for Edmonton to beat the Stars. Still, they’d have to dig exceedingly deep to step up again and match the Eastern Conference contender. Either way, with the series close so far, the Oilers are still in with a shot.
With hockey fever at a fever pitch, there are many different ways to bet on hockey in Ontario!
