Florida Panthers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Prediction, NHL Odds
The Maple Leafs open a four-game home stand at Scotiabank Arena after closing out a three-game road trip with Monday’s 4-3 win in Utah that leaves them trailing Florida by just two points in the battle for the top of the Atlantic. The Panthers travel to Toronto after opening a crucial six-game road trip with a 3-2 loss in Boston on Tuesday night but have avoided losing two in a row during an impressive 15-6-0 run that began on January 14.
The Panthers lead the way as slim -120 road favourites on the Thursday NHL odds. The Maple Leafs trail as +100 underdogs and the total is pegged at 6.0.
Panthers vs. Maple Leafs NHL Betting Odds
Thursday night’s matchup is the second meeting of the season between these divisional rivals and the first of three clashes down that stretch that are likely to determine who claims the Atlantic crown. The Panthers skated to a 5-1 victory when they hosted the Leafs back on November 27 and have now claimed the win in three of five regular season meetings. However, the Leafs have emerged victorious in their past two head-to-head tilts in Toronto, and have won in 11 of 13 on home ice since 2016.
The Leafs return home for just their third home contest since January 29 looking to tighten up defensively after surrendering 4.50 goals per game while losing three of their four recent road dates. The club also has work to do to rediscover consistency on home ice, where they have won just three of their past eight while scoring two or fewer goals on five occasions.
The Panthers saw a 6-0-0 run halted by Tuesday’s loss. However, Florida has remained a defensive force, allowing just four total goals in the past four games and just 13 total goals while going 8-2-0 over their past 10. However, the Panthers have still managed to produce uneven results on the road, winning just three of seven.
Florida Panthers
The Panthers will be missing both Matthew Tkachuk and Brad Marchand when they hit the ice in Toronto. Tkachuk is expected to be on the shelf until the playoffs with a groin injury while Marchand, who was acquired from the Bruins in a trade deadline deal, is nursing an upper body injury that will sideline him indefinitely.
On Tuesday night, Aleksander Barkov saw a three-game point streak snapped that had produced three goals and three assists and has also averaged a point per game over his past eight road outings. Thursday’s probable netminder Sergei Bobrovsky has played a key role in Florida’s late-season surge, winning nine of his past 12 starts while surrendering just 2.11 goals per game and recording shutouts in two of his past four outings.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Leafs squandered an early 3-0 lead and needed a shootout to eke out a 4-3 win in Utah on Monday. The club blew early leads in three of the four dates on their recent road trip and mustered just one third-period goal over that stretch. The goaltending tandem of Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz has been shaky at best, allowing over four goals per game over the past seven contests, and will need to be far better if this team is to get past Florida.
However, William Nylander has been steady since returning from the 4 Nations Play-Off, picking up 11 points in nine games. Auston Matthews saw a 12-game point streak snapped on Tuesday. However, Matthews has struggled to bulge the twine, scoring just three times in 15 contests.
