Despite getting swept last month in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs by the Tampa Bay Lightning in their now-annual playoff meltdown, Bodog still considers the Washington Capitals one of the odds-on favorites to win Lord Stanley's Cup in 2012. The odds were released after the Boston Bruins beat the Vancouver Canucks Wednesday night for their first title since 1972. The Bruins' odds of repeating their championship is 8-1. At 5-1, the Canucks have the best odds of winning it all next season. The Caps have the next-lowest odds, at 17-2.
Only three more teams, the Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks and Philadelphia Flyers, have single-digit odds. Each team stands at 9-1 to win it all.
The Capitals have been among the NHL's best in the regular season each of the past three seasons, earning the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs in each of the past two. However, regular season wins have not translated to playoff wins for the Caps, who did not advance past the second round in any of those three seasons.
(HT: @ngreenberg)