(OddsShark.com) — It has been a tale of two seasons for the Anaheim Ducks, whose current 13-2 run has brought them within striking distance of first place in the Pacific Division standings and lifted their odds to win the Stanley Cup to a short 9/1 at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Last season the Ducks came within one game of returning to the Stanley Cup final for the first time since their Cup victory in 2007, falling to the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 7 of the Western Conference final after eclipsing the 50-win mark for the second year in a row.
Anaheim struggled out of the gate this season, posting just one victory in their first 10 contests and quickly tumbling down the Stanley Cup odds, bottoming out at 28/1 after opening the campaign among the favorites.
But the new year has brought a change in fortune. Anaheim will hit the 60-game mark in Friday’s Oilers vs. Ducks betting matchup at Honda Center holding a two-point edge over San Jose for second place in the Pacific, and closing in on the first-place Los Angeles Kings.
Conversely, the Tampa Bay Lightning have watched their Stanley Cup odds fade, falling to 18/1 this week despite a four-game win streak that helped them close the gap on the Florida Panthers in the Atlantic Division standings. The Lightning had been seeing their stock rise on the NHL futures, climbing to 12/1 on the strength of a 10-1 run that started in early January.
The Washington Capitals continue to lead the way on the Stanley Cup odds, holding steady as 4/1 chalk. The Capitals sit atop the standings with 92 points, but face a tough schedule over the next week including dates with Chicago, Pittsburgh, and the New York Rangers.
The Blackhawks remains close on the Capitals’ tail at 5/1, followed by the Kings and Dallas Stars, who join the Ducks at 9/1. The St. Louis Blues lead the second tier on the NHL futures, joining the Sharks at 14/1, ahead of the Panthers and Rangers, who each sport 16/1 odds, while the Pens hold steady at 20/1 despite failing to post consecutive wins in three weeks.