Bruins vs. Maple Leafs Game 3 Prediction: Stanley Cup Playoffs Odds
After looking outmatched in Game 1, the Leafs answered the call against Boston in Game 2 on Monday night. Auston Matthews scored the go-ahead goal in Toronto’s 3-2 victory as the Leafs beat the Bruins for the first time this season.
For Game 3, Toronto opened as a slim -115 favourite to win on the NHL odds, with the total set at 5.5.
Bruins vs. Maple Leafs NHL Betting Odds
Not only did Toronto beat Boston for the first time this season on Monday, it was the first time they’ve held a lead against the Bruins and it also snapped an eight-game losing streak in the head-to-head series. The Leafs’ offence finally broke through after Boston held them to a single goal in each of the three previous meetings.
The series odds are an incredibly close margin right now, with the Bruins sitting at -115 to win and Toronto at -105. Oddsmakers essentially think this series is a lock to go six or seven games as Over 5.5 total games in the series is a heavy favourite at -350. If you’re looking for a longer term futures play, Boston is +1200 to win the Stanley Cup and the Leafs are +1600.
Boston Bruins
Boston controlled the momentum for large portions of Game 2 and it looked like they were set to break Leafs fans’ hearts again when they scored a go-ahead goal with eight seconds left in the first period, but they were shut out of the final two frames. Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak had the Bruins’ goals, while Linus Ullmark made made 30 saves in net.
In Game 2, Boston stuck with their unique strategy of rotating evenly between Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman, who made 35 saves in the Bruins’ 5-1 Game 1 victory. That means Swayman is in line to get the start again in Game 3. The 25-year-old had a solid regular season, posting a 25-10-8 record with a 2.53 goals-against average and .916 save percentage. In nine career NHL playoff games (seven starts), Swayman is 4-4 with a 2.56 GAA and .912 SV.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Auston Matthews was the hero on Monday, scoring the game-winning goal on a breakaway midway through the third period. The game was a big bounce-back effort from the Leafs, who also had goals by Max Domi and John Tavares. After allowing 15 goals over his last three starts prior to Game 2, Ilya Samsonov looked great on Monday while making 27 saves. Samsonov is expected to start again in Game 3, but the leash is likely still short, so Jospeh Woll could still see action in the series.
The mystery surrounding Toronto right now is the continued absence of William Nylander, who hasn’t played yet in the series after dressing for all 82 games in the regular season. Nylander was on the ice for morning skate on Monday, but he didn’t take part in line rushes and it’s not known what type of injury he is dealing with or how severe it is. The 27-year-old winger, who was second on the Leafs with 98 points in the regular season, had 10 points in 11 playoff games last spring. Nylander will be a game-time decision for Game 3.
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