Canucks Still +1900 Stanley Cup Longshots After Evening Series with Vegas

• The No. 5 Vancouver Canucks have evened their series with the No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights
• The Canucks are still being listed as +1900 longshots to win the Stanley Cup
• Is Vancouver a good value bet to win their first Stanley Cup ever in 2020?

The Vancouver Canucks continue to be underestimated. Despite upsetting the St. Louis Blues in round one  and winning Game 2 to even up their second-round series with the Vegas Golden Knights, the Canucks are still being listed as heavy +1900 longshots to win the Stanley Cup this season.

Vancouver’s 2020 Stanley Cup odds are almost twice as long as any of the other seven teams remaining. The Golden Knights are currently favored at +285 to go all the way.

Are the Canucks a good value bet to win the Stanley Cup in 2020, or should you put your money on a favorite (which is everyone else, by comparison)?

2020 Stanley Cup Odds

Odds as of Aug. 26.

Canucks Tie Series With Knights

The Canucks beat the Golden Knights 5-2 in Game 2 on Tuesday to even up their second-round playoff series. Elias Pettersson and Tyler Toffoli both had three points, while Jacob Markstrom made 38 saves to help Vancouver garner the victory.

The reason why oddsmakers likely aren’t too confident in the Canucks is how the two games have been played. Vancouver has been outshot 79-53 so far and gave up a whopping 93 shots attempts in Game 2, while setting a franchise playoff record for blocked shots. Vegas is one of the best puck-possession teams in the NHL and they’ve been controlling the play through two games against Vancouver.

The positive for Vancouver is they’ve won games that they were outshot in all season. This has largely been due to the elite play of Jacob Markstrom, who owns a .925 save percentage this postseason. He’s arguably the best goalie remaining in the Western Conference. The potential concern for Markstrom is fatigue, as this compressed schedule means the workhorse netminder is starting almost every other night.

Avalanche/Stars Winner Will Be Tough Opponent

If the Canucks manage to upset a second straight Western Conference powerhouse in the second round, they will be facing either the Colorado Avalanche or Dallas Stars in the Conference Finals. While the Canucks matchup better against both teams then they do against Vegas, they will be underdogs against either.

MacKinnon MISSILE. 🚀@Avalanche | #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/nHtGcYVN9w

— NHL on NBC Sports (@NHLonNBCSports) August 25, 2020

The Stars allowed the fewest goals per game in the regular season, while the Avalanche have an explosive offense led by Nathan MacKinnon. The Stars won both regular-season meetings with Vancouver and have the defense to shutdown the Canucks’ young offensive stars. If the Avalanche win, shutting down the Avs’ high-powered offense will be a daunting task for Vancouver’s blueline.

The Canucks have a concerning 3-8-1 all-time record against the Golden Knights. Even if they do manage to pull off the upset, getting to the Stanley Cup Final will still be a tall order.

Lightning Offer Best Value

The Tampa Bay Lightning are currently listed at +485 odds to win the 2020 Stanley Cup. A reason they don’t have shorter odds is because they’re currently taking on the powerhouse Boston Bruins in the second round. Tampa beat Boston in five games in the 2018 playoffs and are on track to beat them again after winning Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead.

Pally converts!! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/xEkG44zya2

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) August 27, 2020

Tampa Bay is on a mission this postseason after getting upset by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round last season. The Bolts lead the Eastern Conference in both Corsi and Fenwick this postseason and exerted their dominance in the regular season with seperate 10-game and 11-game winning streaks.

The Canucks have such long odds because it’s unlikely they get past the Golden Knights, a team they’ve struggled against ever since they entered the league. The Lightning have tremendous talent at every position and could get captain Steven Stamkos back at some point. They’re worth betting on while they remain locked in a series with the NHL’s best team from the regular season.

Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (+485)