Stanley Cup Playoffs: Who's The Staker Favorite?

There’s nothing like playoff hockey. Literally nothing like it. Sorry Bruins fans, tough scene. The world weeps for ya.

Now that we’ve got our Editor’s Picks season up and running, we can finally get some takes from all the Stakes hockey fans out there who need representation! With Boston shockingly out of the picture, the road to the Stanley Cup Finals in the Eastern Conference is WIDE open, and we’ve got four teams — Toronto, Carolina, Florida, and New Jersey — vying for the top spot. They’re in the second round now, but the favorites are becoming clear: Almost exactly 2/3 of Stakers think the Maple Leafs move past the Panthers, while almost as many think the Hurricanes are a lock to get past the Devils.

Moving beyond the Conference Finals, there are still some good storylines to follow for the rest of the month. Now that the Maple Leafs have shaken off their infamous first round curse, they’ve got another goal to attack: Become the first Canadian team since the 1993 Montréal Canadiens to hoist the Cup. Exactly one half of the crowd thinks that either the Leafs or the Edmonton Oilers will finally break through:

A Maple Leafs vs. Oilers Finals series — Connor McDavid vs. Auston Matthews, Leon Draisaitl vs. Mitch Marner, and many more — would be one for the ages, that’s for sure.

That’s all for this week! Make sure to join the Editor’s Picks season in the Stakes app if you haven’t already to see more questions like these and make your call on this year’s Cup!