After a particularly grueling postseason, we’re getting closer and closer to the NHL playoffs, where the two top seeds in the conference are the Winnipeg Jets and the Washington Capitals. Although the playoffs haven’t started yet, and so it’s hard to predict who will be standing at the end of them, some fans are getting a little impatient. Bets are already being made and NHL odds are starting to heat up and many are pinning their hopes on the teams at the top of the standings; those teams are the Jets and Capitals. But which of these teams is more likely to lift the Stanley Cup, and is it possible to predict the winner this early?
Winnipeg Jets vs Washington Capitals
At the time of writing, it’s the Jets leading the Western Conference with a stellar 51-19-4 record, while the Capitals firmly control the Eastern Conference at 47-17-9. Both teams, of course, have shown incredible consistency throughout the season, and both are rightfully considered the strongest Stanley Cup contenders.
In terms of the Washington Capitals, however, the emphasis is on them a little more. Of the two teams, they are the only ones who already have one Raised the Stanley Cup in 2018when they defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in a stunning 4-1 series victory. That win marked a historic moment for the franchise as Alex Ovechkin and the team finally got a win after years of playoff disappointments, and the best thing about it is that it didn’t feel like a fluke.
Conversely, the Capitals have been steadily building for years, with players like Ovechkin and Kuznetsov doing their best to keep the team competitive against the best. While they have failed to secure that victory in the last seven years, 2025 looks like the year they could do it again. As previously mentioned, they have been an incredible team this season, relentless in attack and steady in defence, and as a result fans have some expectations.
As for the Winnipeg Jets, however, expectations are much lower. The Jets have never won the Stanley Cup in their history, and so they enter this contest as a relative Stanley Cup underdog. This, in turn, can give them the fire they need to make an impact, offloading all the pressure on their opponents and playing with more freedom as a result.
Prediction of the winner
So is it possible to predict who will win in these early stages? Well, yes, but it is difficult. The unpredictable nature of the playoffs means that any team, especially teams in strong form or a few key players, can turn things around, and so the competition is open to many contenders. If we were forced to make a prediction right now, we’d say the Jets are coming in with a pretty good shout. But as ever in this sport, no one knows what’s going to happen. And that’s why we love it so much.
