NHL Betting: Senators final Canadian hope

With the Vancouver Canucks eliminated, the Ottawa Senators are now Canada’s last chance to have one of their teams advance to the second round of the NHL playoffs and pay off on the Stanley Cup futures.

To accomplish that feat, however, the Senators will need to pick up a road win at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night in the seventh and deciding game of their first-round series against the top-seeded New York Rangers.

Ottawa lost Game 6 by a 3-2 score at home on Monday night, blowing a chance to wrap up the best-of-seven set. Derek Stepan, Brad Richards, and Chris Kreider scored for New York in that win, with Henrik Lundqvist making 25 saves.

Chris Neil and Jason Spezza had Ottawa's goals, and Craig Anderson made 19 stops in the loss.

Elsewhere around the Eastern Conference playoffs this week the Panthers/Devils and Bruins/Capitals series are still up on the NHL odds board, with only the Philadelphia Flyers having already found their way into the second round.

New Jersey will host Florida in hopes of staving off elimination in Game 6 of their set on Tuesday night, with Game 7 back in Florida on Thursday night if necessary. The Bruins and Capitals will play a winner-takes-all Game 7 in Boston on Wednesday night.

Odds to Win the 2012 Stanley Cup at Bodog:

St. Louis Blues 4/1
Philadelphia Flyers 5/1
Nashville Predators 11/2
Los Angeles Kings 6/1
Boston Bruins 8/1
New York Rangers 10/1
Ottawa Senators 15/1
Phoenix Coyotes 16/1
Chicago Blackhawks 18/1
Washington Capitals 20/1
Florida Panthers 22/1
New Jersey Devils 25/1