The NHL Conference Finals begin Tuesday night, with four teams left vying for Lord Stanley’s Cup. The Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche, and Edmonton Oilers all have their own strengths and weaknesses, with each having distinctive playing styles.

I’m joined by “Hockey Night in Canada” host Dan Murphy to discuss the four remaining teams and their betting chances of winning the Cup, with odds courtesy of BetMGM. 

The Colorado Avalanche entered the playoffs as the odds-on favorite of hoisting the trophy, and they find themselves still with the best odds of any of the remaining teams.

While it’s easy to focus on the offensive attack of Nathan MacKinnon and company, it’s the defense that might set them apart from their Western Conference Final opponent.

“When you look at the Western Conference Final, they have the two best defensemen in the series in Cale Makar and Devon Toews, and would probably have the three best defensemen if you included the injured Samuel Girard. You can even argue Bowen Byram over Darnell Nurse. Makar is elite – he’s been marvelous in the postseason” Murphy said.

“I think everyone talks about this series as MacKinnon vs. [Connor] McDavid, but I think Makar is the best player on the Avalanche.”

Nazem Kadri stands out as a name that Murphy is watching going forward.

“Let me go with Kadri,” Murphy said when asked for an x-factor. “If we’re talking about styles, courses for horses, it’s perfect for him. He can get in your face, he can be a pest, he can be physical – as the playoffs come together, he can bother some of those top end guys.”

The champs are here. The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning are rounding into shape at just the right time, and are a legitimate threat to make it a three-peat for the first time in the NHL since the New York Islanders won four straight from 1980-83.

“It looks like they’re building in the playoffs, doesn’t it? They weren’t that sharp against Toronto, but [goaltender Andre] Vasilevskiy got it going by game 7,” Murphy said.

“Tampa isn’t as deep as they were last year, and that’s what happens when you win Cups. I still like Tampa’s chances. I like their size, I like their goaltending, and they have that high-end talent. I’m worried about [Brayden] Point, so without him that’s a little bit of an X, but I still think this is a superior team in this conference when you look at them vs. the Rangers.”

A lot of times in the playoffs, Murphy said that the top-end guys can cancel each other out. It’s up to the role players to step up and make a difference. Getting the most out of those players can make the difference as the playoffs go on.

“Their x-factor is a coach that knows how to be relevant with his team. He has found a way to stay engaged with his guys,” Murphy said. “Jon Cooper not only finds a way to motivate his top guys, but when there’s new guys year after year, he finds a way to send the right messages to them as well.”

The Rangers are on a terrific run, coming off a Game 7 victory against the division champion Carolina Hurricanes. Their young players are growing before our eyes, stepping up when it matters the most. 2020 first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere has seven points in 14 games in these playoffs after posting 31 points in 79 regular-season games. 

“The one good thing if you’re a Rangers fan is that they’ve gotten better as the playoffs have gone along. They looked beat against Pittsburgh in the first round, but they found a way to win with opportunistic scoring and a red-hot power play,” Murphy said.

Murphy likes what reigning Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox provides for the Rangers.

“Fox is a defenseman on that power-play unit that has been elite. Numbers in 5v5 aren’t as good as some of the other defensemen remaining, but he’s such a dynamic offensive force that I like what he can bring,” Murphy said.

“[Goaltender Igor] Shesterkin had a save percentage of around 94% this last round. A hot power play and a hot goaltender can take you a long ways in the playoffs. They have elite skill that can hurt you. It’s tough to bet against a team like that in a best-of-seven series, but I would still lean toward Tampa.”

After dominating the Battle of Alberta against the Calgary Flames in the last round, Edmonton has earned a Western Conference Final appearance against the best team in hockey. 

“I covered the first four games of the first round [for Edmonton]. After that, [Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft] changed things up and said, ‘I’m going to run my best guys together because I know that my best guys are better than your best guys.’ If McDavid and [Leon] Draisaitl are on a heater, they can bet anyone in this series. Their top-end guys are going good, so they’re going to try and ride that as long as possible,” Murphy said.

Murphy believes that Zach Hyman could be an x-factor to watch for Edmonton. 

“Yes, they overpaid him, but they overpaid him for this window right now and he’s delivered. If I’m looking at an x-factor, that would be my guy,” Murphy said.

The Oilers will need their best players to dominate the Western Conference Final while their bottom six try and hang on without being a liability if Edmonton is going to have any chance against Colorado.