The top 2 Stanley cup favorites are Colorado and Tampa Bay - agree or disagree?

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Going into the season, I think an overwhelming majority had these two teams as the top 2 cup favorites. Their arguments were pretty clear:

Colorado - defending cup champions. Stacked core of MacKinnon, Makar, Rantanen, etc. Very deep team, in what seemed to be another "weak" western conference

Tampa Bay - 2 cups and 3 straight finals. And they lost in the finals without their #1C. A few off-season changes, but still an extremely strong team with a terrific playoff pedigree

Both teams are doing good enough in the regular season so far, but not necessarily world beaters:

Colorado - 9th in the west and 19th in league for points, but 5th in west on p%. Obviously a few injuries, but I think most still expect them to easily make the playoffs, if not as #1 seed.

Tampa Bay - Was a bit of a rough start, but they've been doing better lately and are up to 6th in the east, and 9th overall in league.

Some other teams have manifested themselves so far in 2022. Boston and NJ are having insane regular seasons. Toronto and Vegas are doing well, Pittsburgh is hot again lately, etc.

So what would you say, roughly one third of the season in, do you still consider Tampa Bay and Colorado the top 2 Stanley Cup favorites for this year? Or has another team surpassed them? Have another 2 team surpassed them and neither/nor are a top 2 favorite anymore?

At this point in the season? No Toronto, Boston, NJ, Vegas several teams are playing significantly better than both.

 

[LightningStorm]

Tough to say. Bolts had some key losses with McDonagh and Palat, in addition to all the mileage they have from playing in 3 straight finals. It's why I don't expect us to had a great regular season, as we need something left in the tank for the playoffs. Which in turn hurts us for how tough the Atlantic is, likely needing to beat the Leafs and Bruins to get out of the first 2 rounds. At the same time, Point is back and playing well. Sure could've used his usual clutch playoff goals in some of the close games in last season's final, and look forward to hopefully having them again in the 2023 playoffs.

For the Avs, the hole Kadri left for the 2C has obviously showed this season, plus MacKinnon being out a month will probably hurt them more in the standings. I would normally not like their chances of getting back to the finals, but in the weaker west I think they can do it.

It'll be curious to see what each team does at or before the deadline. Avs need a 2C, while I think the Bolts could use a good shutdown defenseman to allow Hedman more freedom, as he's had to play more of a shutdown role this season with McDonagh gone.

 

[HugeInTheShire]

They're both still in the conversation but I can't see taking either of them over Boston.

Boston is clearly the best team in the league right now, Tampa always figures it out once the playoffs start, Colorado right now isn't looking too hot, but they'll find a way to add a 2C and they'll right their ship.
Vegas and Toronto look like they'll be around for a while as well

I really struggle with NJ cuz they're obviously my favorite team and have looked unstoppable at times, but I wouldn't be surprised if they're bounced early.

Boston
Tampa
Colorado




Vegas
Leafs


For now

 

[WetcoastOrca]

In any order:
Boston
Colorado
Vegas

Then I’d have, in any order:
Tampa
Toronto
Carolina

 

[Play]

Leafs and Bruins

 

[innitfam]

Embarrassed? You guys were dead in the water in game 6 until the refs saved you

TB/TOR was a war in round 1 last year, a game of inches that could have gone either way

Still with this? What exactly did the refs do to prevent the Leafs scoring in OT of that game?

 

[leafsfan5]

Still with this? What exactly did the refs do to prevent the Leafs scoring in OT of that game?

Nothing about my comment has anything to do with OT

It has everything to do with the fact that with 11 minutes left in the third Tampa had nothing, then the refs helped them out and got them off their death bed. Cooper himself admitted as much recently lol

 

[Master P]

Nothing about my comment has anything to do with OT

It has everything to do with the fact that with 11 minutes left in the third Tampa had nothing, then the refs helped them out and got them off their death bed. Cooper himself admitted as much recently lol

Damn bro, that sucks.

 

[leafsfan5]

Damn bro, that sucks.

It's fine, we're likely meeting in round 1 this year so the opportunity for revenge is coming

 

[Master P]

It's fine, we're likely meeting in round 1 this year so the opportunity for revenge is coming

 

[innitfam]

Nothing about my comment has anything to do with OT

It has everything to do with the fact that with 11 minutes left in the third Tampa had nothing, then the refs helped them out and got them off their death bed. Cooper himself admitted as much recently lol

My point was, even if you perceive the refs screwed the Leafs, they had every chance to win in OT. And Game 7 for that matter.

 

[Aashir Mallik]

Tampa, at no point in the series, deserved to beat the Leafs.

They were otchanced at even strength, and their best players were neutered.

If not for 4 instances of 5 on 3, and a litany of questionable calls, Tampa loses the series in 6 games.

So, I don't see how they are favourites.

Hate to say it, but the leafs lost, so your points about the score don’t matter

We can outplay, outskill, outscore and everything tampa, but you can’t win a series by aggregate scoring, this isn’t soccer

And leafs were tied after the 5 on 3, Leafs had game 6 OT, freaking kerfoot got a breakaway but he just couldn’t finish. Also had game 7, we just couldn’t close it out, tampa finished in game 7 and vasi played well

I do wish the series had less penalties called on both teams, I wanted to see both teams playing a bit more 5 on 5 play, but it is what it is

Tampa played the series enough to stay in it, that’s all you need to have a chance, which they capitalized on

 

[HockeyWooot]

Definitely strong contenders but harder to argue as THE favourites.

Both have excellent corps performing at a high level but took hits to their roster depth in the off-season.

Could see either making it to the finals but hardly the odds on favourites to do so.

 

[bobholly39]

Nothing about my comment has anything to do with OT

It has everything to do with the fact that with 11 minutes left in the third Tampa had nothing, then the refs helped them out and got them off their death bed. Cooper himself admitted as much recently lol

Good teams find ways to win (ie Tampa did so)
Good teams also find ways to recover from bad bounces (ie, perceived bad penalties, that you say cost Leafs series, but couldn't recover from)


Trying to play the "we should have won" card is lame. Accept the loss and look towards revenge the next year, as you say

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Boston
Toronto
New Jersey
Vegas

Literally this

 

[hamzarocks]

1. Avs
2. Bolts
3. Bruins
4. Leafs*
5. Knights

Those are my big 5 contenders

Leafs do choke a lot so I have to put the asterisk besides them

They are playing amazing hockey this year even better than last season

Devils have no playoff history so haven't ranked them until I see how they fare in round 1. Young team with not many guys who've played in the playoffs.

Very talented but remains to be seen how their stars fare under tighter conditions

 

[SensFan4lyfe]

1. Avs
2. Bolts
3. Bruins
4. Leafs*
5. Knights

Those are my big 5 contenders

Leafs do choke a lot so I have to put the asterisk besides them

They are playing amazing hockey this year even better than last season

Devils have no playoff history so haven't ranked them until I see how they fare in round 1. Young team with not many guys who've played in the playoffs.

Very talented but remains to be seen how their stars fare under tighter conditions

In the West

1- Vegas
2- Winnipeg
3- Avs

The East

1- Boston
2- New Jersey
3- Toronto
4- Tampa
5- Carolona

 

[Face Of Bear]

Top 2 for me are 1) Toronto and 2) Vegas

 

[T REX]

Sigh....

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Colorado lost too much depth up front to be a favorite, IMO. Still obviously a contender with their top line and that defense corps, but losing guys like Kadri and Burakovsky without really replacing that type of talent is going to hurt them, especially if Vegas has rebounded from a bad season.

 

[leafsfan5]

My point was, even if you perceive the refs screwed the Leafs, they had every chance to win in OT. And Game 7 for that matter.

Good teams find ways to win (ie Tampa did so)
Good teams also find ways to recover from bad bounces (ie, perceived bad penalties, that you say cost Leafs series, but couldn't recover from)


Trying to play the "we should have won" card is lame. Accept the loss and look towards revenge the next year, as you say

Again, nothing about my comment says the leafs don't shoulder blame in the series lol. They're the ones who didn't score in OT and lost game 7 on home ice

I was responding to someone who said the series was Tampa was embarrassing Toronto. Reality is it was a series of inches where Tampa got extremely fortunate reffing to save their season

 

[MAB1]

But if you replay the series in a simulator a dozen times, odds are Vasi has a shutout for 2 or 3 games. Or Kucherov takes over. Or Hedman shuts out Matthews/Marner. Or Point scores a bunch of goals. You can't just assume all stats/shots etc stay the same.

Not saying Toronto isn't a good team too, but there's a reason Tampa finds a way to win series and playoff games, even when you think they dont deserve it. That's what good teams do. And most of the time, they win and deserve to win too.



They have open capspace and rumors all year long have hinted they plan on making a big move.

Even though they may lack a 2C today, I think its quite likely they will fill that spot prior to trade deadline.

No. If that were the case they wouldn't have needed a decade + after drafting Stamkos and Hedman to win the cup.

The reality is sometimes flukes happen and goalies get hot and steal series. The playoffs are unpredictable, all you can do is put the best team you can out there and make the playoffs as consistent as possible that way.

This revisionist history by Bolts fans like they didn't need to wait until year 12 of Stamkos to win the cup but wanna crucify the Leafs after year 6 of Matthews, Marner and co is hilarious.

How generous of you to give your team a 12 year cushion to get it done but chirp other teams for not winning in 1/2 that time lmfao.

 

[ijuka]

Bruins definitely should be ahead of one of those, if not two.

I think also Leafs are better than at least one, but they have a history as playoff chokers so I guess that needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

I'm not so sold on Vegas, and West in general seems pretty weak this year.

I think Colorado's getting a bit overrated. It's like people just ignore how much their team composition changed since last year.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

I think Colorado is still a favourite when healthy. They for the most part dominated last year even in the playoff run.
Tampa is still a top team but I wouldn’t call them the favourite. I’d have Boston in the East. Then Tampa, Toronto, Carolina and NJ all competing.

 

[SensFan4lyfe]

In the west i take Winnipeg and Vegas over colorado

Both are deeper teams

I dont see why the jets dont get respect on here

they have a very good team and PLD and Scheff is a good 1-2 punch down the middle + a Veznia goalie

I'd take Winnipeg over the Avs at this point