Stanley Cup: Lightning vs. Blackhawks Odds, Scores and Predictions

It’s the battle-tested Blackhawks against the young Lightning in the Stanley Cup Finals. Chicago is a -175 favorite to hoist Lord Stanley’s mug.

Everybody knows what the Chicago Blackhawks are all about. They’re a modern-day dynasty even if they can’t win their sixth Stanley Cup title this year and know what it takes to win this time of year. That said, if anybody doubted the Tampa Bay Lighting, that’s now out the window after they went into New  York and beat the New York Rangers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Game 1 goes Thursday night in Tampa Bay.

Sports Interaction NHL Stanley Cup Odds

Chicago Blackhawks -175

With Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane up front and a defensemen of Duncan Keith’s caliber, the Chicago Blackhawks almost always have one of the best players in the world on the ice at all times. That’s an advantage you can’t overlook this time of the year. As long as those three players stay healthy, the Blackhawks are going to be very difficult to beat. Chicago has a third line that will give Tampa Bay trouble and the Hawks’ fourth line will be tasked with blanketing either the Triplets or Steven Stamkos’ line. That’s the matchup to keep an eye on. If the Blackhawks can slow down either of those lines, that will be the difference.

Tampa Bay Lightning +130

The Lightning are growing up fast with some top-end talent that will give this Stanley Cup Finals the look of an All-Star game at times. Tyler Johnson is the real deal and Steven Stamkos solidified his place as one of the NHL’s best against the Rangers – bringing a physical element to his game that we hadn’t seen before. Tampa’s defence is no joke either. The Lightning are committed to blocking shots can play a nasty game along the boards now. They’ll need to keep that going here.

Prediction

This is going to be a fun series to watch between a pair of supremely talented teams. If anything, some of the questions about goaltending could result in a couple high-scoring shootouts, which would be great for the league and for fans. Ultimately, the Blackhawks have the edge in depth and experience, so they’re your best bet.

Pick: Chicago Blackhawks in six games.