Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Prediction, NHL Odds
Saturday will be the final home game of the regular season for the Toronto Maple Leafs as they welcome the rival Montreal Canadiens
The Leafs are heavy favourites to win on the NHL odds.
Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs NHL Betting Odds
Saturday is the fourth and final meeting between the Original Six rivals. Montreal surprisingly leads 2-1 and won the lone game at Scotiabank Arena 5-1 on Feb. 18.
William Nylander (2G, 2A) leads the Leafs with four points in the series, while Auston Matthews (3A) and Michael Bunting (3G) each have three. Ilya Samsonov, Matt Murray and Joseph Woll each started once with Woll allowing one goal in his victory.
Josh Anderson (3G) and Nick Suzuki (3A) lead the Habs with three points each. Anderson is also a team-best plus-3. Josh Allen is 1-1 with a 4.01 goals-against average and .890 SV in his two, and Sam Montembeault won his outing, allowing two goals.
The home team has won the past seven in the series. The total has gone under in the past four in Toronto.
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal played its best game in a while Thursday in trouncing visiting Washington 6-2 to snap a four-game losing streak. Joel Armia had his second career hat trick, completing it on an empty net in his third game back after missing 19 with a respiratory infection. He was the obvious No 1 star, while Mike Matheson was No. 2 with three assists and Nick Suzuki No. 3 with a goal and assist. Matheson’s 33 points this season are a career high. Suzuki’s 63 also are a career best. Rafael Harvey-Pinard returned from a two-game absence due to a lower-body injury and registered a point (assist) for a third straight game. Sam Montembeault made 24 saves and has won three of his past five. He probably starts Saturday (although it’s possible Jake Allen could) considering Cayden Primeau was sent to AHL Laval on Friday. Montreal is 1-5 in its past six Saturday games.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The next time Toronto plays at home after Saturday, it will be Game 1 of its first-round playoff series (date TBA) against Tampa Bay in a rematch of last year’s terrific first-round matchup won by the Lightning in seven games. The Leafs clinched second in the Atlantic Division on Thursday despite a 2-1 OT loss at the NHL-best Bruins because the Lightning were routed 6-1 at the Islanders. Sam Lafferty (12th goal of season) had the lone goal vs. Boston. Centre and trade acquisition Ryan O’Reilly returned from injury and didn’t have a shot in 17:03. Ilya Samsonov made 31 saves for the Maple Leafs, who are 3-1-2 in their past six games. Toronto is 0-4 in its past four after allowing two goals or fewer in its previous game.
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