Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Florida Panthers Prediction, NHL Odds
The Panthers are solid home favourites on the NHL odds.
Maple Leafs vs. Panthers NHL Betting Odds
You aren’t a fan of high-scoring hockey fan if you don’t want to see these teams meet in the Eastern Conference playoffs. If they both win in the first round, they would in the conference semifinals because Florida has won the Atlantic Division and Toronto almost surely is finishing second.
This is the regular-season rubber match as Toronto beat the visiting Panthers 5-2 on March 27 and then blew a 5-1 second-period lead at Florida on April 5 and lost 7-6 in overtime in easily one of the most entertaining games of the season. Both starting goaltenders were pulled in that one as the teams combined for 84 shots, six power-play goals (three each) and two short-handed goals (one each).
Mitch Marner (2G, 5A) leads the Leafs with seven points in the season series, while Auston Matthews (1G, 4A) and Morgan Rielly (1G, 4A) each have five. Jack Campbell only played in that 7-6 loss and allowed four goals on 22 shots. Jonathan Huberdeau (2G, 4A) leads Florida with six points in the series. Spencer Knight ended up with the decision in both and has a 3.73 GAA and .867 SV. He likely won’t be in there Saturday.
The home team is 15-3 in the past 18 meetings.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Will Auston Matthews play? He hasn’t since last Thursday with an undisclosed injury but was called “close” ahead of Thursday’s shockingly one-sided 8-1 loss at Tampa Bay to snap Toronto’s four-game winning streak. Matthews still has a fairly comfortable league lead with his 58 goals and looks for the NHL’s first 60-goal season since Steven Stamkos in 2011-12. As for Thursday’s loss, the Lightning were clearly motivated to avenge their 6-2 home loss to the Leafs on April 4, and they simply overwhelmed Toronto rookie netminder Eric Kallgren in a likely first-round playoff preview. It will be Jack Campbell (30-9-5, 2.69 GAA, .913 SV) in this one. Like Matthews, defenceman Jake Muzzin is on the trip and could return from injury Saturday. Toronto is 4-0 in its past five after allowing at least five goals in its previous game.
Florida Panthers
Despite having clinched the Atlantic Division and the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Panthers still have the Presidents’ Trophy to play for as they are battling the Colorado Avalanche for that. Individually, Jonathan Huberdeau (113 points) is neck-and-neck with Edmonton’s Connor McDavid for the Art Ross Trophy. Florida leads the league at 4.18 goals per game, and it’s almost an upset when the team doesn’t score at least five at home. The Cats scored exactly that many Thursday in a rout of visiting Detroit, their 12th straight victory. Sergei Bobrovsky improved to 38-6-3 with a 2.64 GAA and .913 SV and hasn’t lost in regulation since Feb. 26. He should start Saturday. Carter Verhaeghe (22G, 31A) got the night off but isn’t injured and also should play Saturday. The Panthers are 24-8 in their past 32 vs. the Atlantic Division.
TOR
FLA