Considering that the New York Islanders booked the last available playoff spot in the East Division, it’s obvious why they’re not thought of as the main 2021 Stanley Cup favorite.
What’s surprising is that the odds on Islanders winning the Stanley Cup don’t seem to reflect this team’s actual strength. The Isles are priced at +900, which makes them the #5 favorite for the title.
2021 Stanley Cup Favorites
- Colorado Avalanche +300
- Vegas Golden Knights +375
- Tampa Bay Lightning +500
- Montreal Canadiens +850
- New York Islanders +900
- Boston Bruins +1000
- Carolina Hurricanes +2500
Odds definitely do not suggest the Isles are going to win the title. Still, their chances are bound to improve if they do well against their divisional rivals.
The Road to the East Division Trophy
Online sportsbooks think the New York Islanders are going to win the series with the Boston Bruins. At the moment of writing, the Isles lead the series 3-2.
Game 6 will be played in New York, at the home venue of the Islanders, Nassau Coliseum.
More good news for Isles’ fans is that Nassau Coliseum will allow up to 6,800 spectators in those games. A big majority of them will be cheering for the Islanders, which can certainly help their efforts.
New York Islanders Going for the 2021 Stanley Cup
We know that the Islanders can beat anyone from the East division. Thus, winning the divisional final would not be a major surprise. From there, however, it’s uncharted territory.
We don’t know what to expect from the Islanders against teams from other divisions. It’s because they’ve yet to play against a team from outside the East.
However, we can draw from the experiences from one season ago. In 2020, they got to the playoffs, after finishing in the #7 spot in the Eastern Conference.
In the Playoffs, they beat the Florida Panthers, Washington Capitals, and Philadelphia Flyers. The win over the Flyers brought this team to their first Conference Final since 1993.
Unfortunately for them, they lost the final to the Tampa Bay Lightning, who then went on to win the 2020 Stanley Cup.
Can this time be different? The Islanders would surely like that. And they do have the right to be ambitious – they got something most other teams do not.
The main advantage of the Isles over their rivals is the team spirit. The Islanders have 23 different players who have scored at least a goal in the regular season. They also have 24 players with at least one assist. And all of those players are 100% fit!
