The Stanley Cup Playoffs are the best postseason in all of sports, which provide plenty of NHL betting opportunities.
NHL teams have to run a gauntlet of seven-game series, needing to win five rounds to be crowned champion. The intensity is dialed up, and travel is relentless. That’s why playoff matchups are so critical to which teams advance to the next round.
Here’s a look at the playoff teams as of now.
NHL Playoff Picture: NHL Playoff Bracket if Season Ended Today
| #1 Metropolitan Division – New Jersey Devils | #2 Wild Card – Detroit Red Wings |
| #1 Atlantic Division – Boston Bruins | #1 Wild Card – Pittsburgh Penguins |
| #2 Metropolitan Division – Carolina Hurricanes | #3 Metropolitan Division – New York Islanders |
| #2 Atlantic Division – Toronto Maple Leafs | #3 Atlantic Division – Tampa Bay Lightning |
Few people would have bet that the New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings would make this year’s postseason, let alone face each other in the first round. Yet, that’s the reality facing both teams as we pass the quarter-mark of the 2022-23 season.