Panthers Lead Eastern Conference Stanley Cup Odds

At the moment, the Panthers and Maple Leafs are given pretty even odds to win the series, with the Panthers getting the slight edge with a 50.6% chance of victory.

The Panthers have an edge in percentages thanks to reaching the Stanley Cup Final in each of the last two seasons and taking home the franchise’s first championship last year. As the reigning Cup champions, the Panthers will be given the leeway, but it’s deserved.

In the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning, they steamrolled their cross-state rivals. The Panthers won the series in five games, and it never felt like the Lightning had a chance.

The NHL’s leading point scorer Nikita Kucherov was held to no goals while the Panthers outscored the Lightning 30-12. It was a heated battle with plenty of fireworks, but everything leaned in the Panthers’ favor.

That is sure to continue when the Panthers take on the Maple Leafs. The Panthers decidedly won their first round series, while the Maple Leafs had to sweat it out against the Ottawa Senators.

Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, and Matthew Tkachuk have what it takes to stand up to the Maple Leafs’ firepower. To push things further in the Panthers’ favor, top-tier pests like Sam Bennett and former Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand will always be a thorn in the side.

The Panthers may have reached the Final in each of the last two seasons, but they aren’t showing the slightest bit of fatigue. With momentum in their favor and the experience to keep rolling, the Panthers are a deserving team to possibly come out as Eastern Conference champions for the third straight year.