Maple Leafs vs. Penguins: Picks and Predictions

Pittsburgh Penguins wing Phil Kessel gets his first crack at his former team as the Penguins take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. While Kessel likely ended up on the better team, Pittsburgh hasn’t quite gotten off to the start they had hoped. They’ll face a shaky Leafs team that’s ranked by ESPN’s Ultimate Standings as the worst franchise in all of North American professional sports.

NHL Odds

The Pittsburgh Penguins are set as bit -265 favourites against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Check out full NHL Hockey Night in Canada odds here.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins’ decision to trade for the star winger shocked many in the hockey world, but the addition of Kessel to the line up of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin seemed like a no-brainer. Despite how good it looked on paper, Pittsburgh has started the season looking lackluster.

Many of the troubles the Penguins have endured in the short season have come in part due to goalie Marc-Andre Fleury’s poor play. With a penchant for allowing soft goals, Fleury has struggled to keep the opposing teams out of the net early. Add a slow start by Sid the Kid and a game against the rebuilding Leafs could be more difficult than they would like.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Despite several weeks in training camp learning new head coach Mike Babcock’s system, the Leafs appear to have much work to do. Through the first few games of the season, Toronto has turned the puck over at a high rate, a bad habit which has carried over from last year.

Defense is likely to be the lone bright spot on this Leafs team. At times, their blue liners are hustling and pushing the puck out of their own end with authority. At other times, they look out of position and lackadaisical.

Hockey Night in Canada Prediction

While the Penguins haven’t been impressive, they simply have the better roster from top to bottom when compared to the Leafs. Crosby should find the back of the net in this one and could prove to be a good game for the three wingers to find some chemistry. For Toronto, it’s another step closer to familiarity and consistency in a new system.

Penguins, 3-1