Carolina Hurricanes vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Prediction, NHL Odds
t’s the second of a back-to-back for both teams on Sunday night when the Carolina Hurricanes visit Toronto, with the Maple Leafs as +105 underdogs on the NHL odds and a total of 6.5 goals.
Hurricanes vs. Maple Leafs NHL Betting Odds
There may not be many teams in the four major North American professional sports leagues that are title contenders but also quite anonymous than the Carolina Hurricanes. Not that North Carolina is exactly a hockey hotbed – that’s college basketball country.
The Hurricanes have reached the playoffs seven straight seasons and reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the third time in that stretch last post-season. Carolina lost all three of those and hasn’t been back to the Stanley Cup Finals since winning its only title in 2006. The Hurricanes certainly are good enough to win it this year and are +370 favourites in the East and +750 to hoist the Cup. Toronto is +900 and +2000, respectively.
Sunday is the first of three meetings between these teams with the Leafs visiting Raleigh on Dec. 4 and the Hurricanes back in Toronto on March 20. The Maple Leafs won two of three last season. Pontus Holmberg (3G, 1A), who is now with Tampa Bay, and William Nylander (2G, 2A) led Toronto with four points each in the series. Joseph Woll split his two starts in net and Anthony Stolarz won his, allowing three goals. Jordan Staal (3G, 1A) led Carolina with four points. Pyotr Kochetkov split his two starts in net, and former Maple Leaf Frederik Andersen lost his, allowing four goals.
The teams have split the past 10 meetings overall and the over-under is 5-5 in those.
Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina won a third straight game Saturday, 6-3 over Buffalo to get to 10 wins in just 14 team games. The Hurricanes have reached the 10-win mark in a season faster only four times. Sebastian Aho opened the scoring exactly five minutes into Saturday’s game, and the Canes have scored eight goals in the opening five minutes of a game this season – the most among all teams. Andrei Svechnikov, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Charles Alexis Legault each had a goal and an assist. Seth Jarvis tonight can became the second-fastest Hurricanes player in the last 15 years to record 10 goals in a season. Only Andrei Svechnikov (14 games in 2022-23) required fewer games. Because Pyotr Kochetkov was in net Saturday, it should be former Leaf Frederik Andersen tonight. The 36-year-old is 2-2-0 away with a 2.47 GAA and .916 SV. The under is 4-1 in Carolina’s past five on the road.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto had a three-game winning streak snapped Saturday in a 5-3 home loss to Boston. Anthony Stolarz allowed four goals on 19 shots before getting pulled. Dennis Hildeby finished with 19 saves in relief. So it’s rather hard to know who starts here, although you’d think Hildeby. Saturday was the first
action the 24-year-old has season this season. This is the Leafs’ annual Hockey Hall of Fame game and they have an all-time record of 12-6-5 in those contests. Forward John Tarvares is set to play in his 1,200th career game and could join Mats Sundin (Jan. 30, 2007) as the second player to record a point while skating in that 1,200th game while playing with the Maple Leafs. Tavares is -178 for a point. Centre Scott Laughton is out after getting hurt Saturday; he had just recently returned from injury. The over is 10-0 in the Leafs’ past 10.
