Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Prediction, NHL Odds
The Maple Leafs are priced as -140 favourites on the NHL odds and a total of 6.5.
Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs NHL Betting Odds
Note that Montreal at Toronto is the first game of the Hockey Night in Canada doubleheader on Saturday, followed by Winnipeg at Edmonton. It starts a five-game homestand for the Leafs.
Saturday marks the third of four meetings this season and considering they have met in the playoff just once in the past 46 years – a seven-game first-round Montreal win in 2021 – their last will be March 10 at Bell Centre. Toronto opened the season with a 5-2 home win over the Canadiens. Morgan Rielly broke a 2-2 tie at 9:02 of the third and then the Leafs added two empty-netters. Sam Montembeault was in net for Montreal and Anthony Stolarz for Toronto, which hasn’t lost at home in the series since Feb. 13, 2021.
On Nov. 22 in Montreal, the Canadiens won 5-2 (but I just can’t predict a 5-2 final score for this one) behind two goals each from Noah Dobson and Josh Anderson. Jakub Dobes was on the Montreal net and Joseph Woll started for Toronto but gave up four goals on 25 shots before being pulled for Dennis Hildeby. The Leafs were very short-handed due to injuries in that one, missing among others Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies.
Toronto is 8-2 in the past 10 meetings overall and the over-under is 5-5.
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal is well-rested as it has been off since ending a two-game skid with a 3-2 shootout home win over Winnipeg on Wednesday in the second of a back-to-back. Cole Caufield was the No. 1 star with an assist and the shootout winner. Caufield has a nine-game points streak, while Nick Suzuki had a helper to extend his to seven games. Rookie forward Ivan Demidov played a career-high 19:29 of ice time. The 19-year-old winger has 20 points (6G, 14A) and is tied for second in points with Matthew Schaefer among NHL rookies. Jakub Dobes stopped all three Winnipeg shooters in the shootout and gets the call again tonight. He’s 5-1-0 0 with a 3.08 GAA and .896 SV on the road this season. The over is 15-3 in the Canadiens’ past 18 games.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto played about as well as it has all season on Thursday in winning a third straight, 5-1 at excellent Carolina. Matthew Knies had a goal and assist and was the No. 1 star. Bobby McMann opened the scoring with his seventh goal of the year just 0:53 in. The Leafs joined the Tampa Bay Lightning (four games from Nov. 20-26, 2021) as the second team since 2009-10, when real-time shot data was officially tracked, to score on their opening shot of the game in four straight. Auston Matthews had a goal to become the fifth player in franchise history to score more than 10 goals in each of his first 10 NHL seasons. Matthews also moved nine shy of passing Mats Sundin (420) for the franchise’s all-time goals record. Joseph Woll was in net for the win but was placed on IR Saturday, meaning it will be Dennis Hildeby tonight. The Swede is 0-1-1 with a 3.96 GAA in two home appearance this year. Toronto has won eight in a row at home in the series.
MON
TOR