Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Carolina Hurricanes Prediction, NHL Odds
The Leafs continue their continue five-game road trip in Carolina after rolling to a 6-2 victory in Florida on Thursday, and have now posted wins in three of four overall. The Hurricanes opened their current three-game home stand with a 2-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Thursday, and have now fallen to defeat in three of six home dates, but maintain a slender two-point lead over New Jersey atop the divisional standings.
The Maple Leafs have held steady since opening as +120 underdogs. The Hurricanes are pegged as -144 home favourites on the NHL odds, and the total is listed at 6.0.
Maple Leafs vs. Hurricanes NHL Betting Odds
Saturday night’s matchup at PNC Arena marks the third and final regular season meeting between these Eastern Conference powerhouses. The Maple Leafs earned the win in each of their first dates with Carolina this season, capped by a 6-2 victory in Toronto on March 17, and have now outscored the Hurricanes by a 15-8 margin while winning four straight in head-to-head action. With goals coming at a premium for the Hurricanes, the UNDER has gone 2-2 over that stretch, and has paid out in each of the Leafs’ past three visits to Carolina.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs overcame a dismal 7-2 loss to the New York islanders with an impressive offensive performance in Florida on Thursday night. With the victory, Toronto now enjoys a five-point lead over third-place Tampa Bay in the Atlantic Division standings with two games in hand on the Lightning. Thursday’s victory also extended the Buds’ outright win streak as road underdogs to three games, and their record when sporting positive odds on the road this season to 7-2. The club’s big guns provided the offence in Thursday’s victory. Auston Matthews enjoyed his firs multi-goal game since potting a pair of goals in a 5-1 win in Seattle four weeks ago, which also marked the last time he scored at even strength on the road. John Tavares contributed three assists and has now tallied multiple helpers in three of four outings, while Mitch Marner extended his most recent points streak to eight games with a goal and an assist, and has now potted six goals and 15 points during his eight-game run.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes missed a golden opportunity to extend their lead over the slumping Devils atop the Metropolitan Division standings with Thursday’s loss to the Rangers. The Canes fell short despite seizing an early 1-0 lead and limiting New York shooters to just 16 shots on goal on the night. Carolina has now held opponents to an average of 22 shots on goal while maintain the edge in shots in each of their past 13 games, and have given up fewer than 20 on five occasions over that stretch. While that trend is welcome ahead of Saturday’s date with a Leafs squad that has been outshot in six straight outings, the Hurricanes’ stinginess has not translated into consistent results on the scoreboard, with the team earning the win in just seven of 13 games over that stretch. Indeed, generating offence has emerged as a concern for the Canes, who have been limited to two or fewer goals in five of their past eight games including a pair of shutout defeats. However, Sebastian Aho has shown signs of emerging from his recent slumber, scoring four times in his past three games including the team’s only marker in Thursday’s loss.
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