Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Boston Bruins Prediction, NHL Odds
With the Bruins and Leafs tied in the Atlantic Division standings, the winner of this game will take over sole possession of third place in the division, while the loser will drop down to an Eastern Conference wild card position. Boston downed the Islanders 6-3 on Saturday, while Toronto beat Florida 5-2 on Sunday.
The Bruins are -132 favourites to win on the NHL odds, with a total of 6.0.
Maple Leafs vs. Bruins NHL Betting Odds
This is the second of three regulator season meetings between the teams this year. Toronto took the first game 5-2 at home on Nov. 6. Mitch Marner finished with a goal and three assists, John Tavares added two goals and an assist, while Auston Matthews also found the back of the net twice.
The Leafs haven’t done well at TD Garden, dropping three of their last four trips to Boston. They’re 27-38 against the spread overall this season, including 13-19 ATS on the road. The total has gone Under in four of Toronto’s last six games.
Boston is heating up at the right time as they’ve won seven of their last eight games overall and five of their last six at home. They’ve been a terrible cover option this year, however, going 24-41 ATS overall, including an ugly 7-25 ATS at home. The total has gone Over in four of the Bruins’ last six games against Toronto.
Toronto Maple Leafs
With the way the standings currently sit, it will be an interesting end to the regular season in the tight Atlantic Division as dropping down to a wild card spot would actually help Toronto avoid facing the reigning two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lighting in the first round.
The Leafs proved they’re capable of beating the NHL’s other Florida team, the Panthers, on Sunday. Tavares scored twice with the extra man, adding to Toronto’s NHL-leading 29.2 per cent success rate on the power play. Matthews, Morgan Reilly and Ilya Mikheyev all scored once, while Petr Mrazek made 34 saves. Matthews leads the team with 83 points, but he’s now dropped into a tie with Leon Draisaitl for the league-lead in goals at 48. Marner picked up three assists in his 411th regular season NHL game, becoming the fastest player in franchise history to reach 300 career apples.
There’s be no word on who gets the start in net on Tuesday, although there’s a good chance it could be rookie Erik Kallgren as the Leafs have been splitting starts between him and Mrazek. Kallgren has a 2-2-1 record with a 2.49 goals-against average and .917 save percentage. Mrazek is 12-6-0 with a 3.31 GAA and .890 SV. Regular starter Jack Campbell (ribs) is practicing with the team and could be back in the crease on Thursday against the Jets.
Boston Bruins
The Bruins have been one of the hottest teams in hockey over the last five weeks or so, dropping just three games since Feb. 17. If they continue at their current pace over the final 17 regular season games, they have a legitimate shot at unseating Florida atop the Atlantic Division standings.
Saturday’s win over the Islanders was Boston’s fourth victory in a row. Craig Smith, Taylor Hall, David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, Erik Haula and Jake DeBrusk all found the back of the net. Linus Ullmark made 24 saves. Patrice Bergeron added an assist in his 1,200th career NHL game. The Bruins’ captain missed the previous four games with an elbow infection. Pastrnak leads the team with 37 goals and 66 points.
Jeremy Swayman is slated to get the start on Tuesday. Swayman is the undisputed starter for this team, but in order to keep him fresh for the playoffs, Boston has been starting Ullmark every third game. In his last 11 appearances, Swayman is 10-1-0 with a 1.98 GAA. The 23-year-old is 19-8-3 for the season with a 2.09 GAA and .925 SV.
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