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Montreal Canadiens vs Toronto Maple Leafs Picks, Predictions, Odds & Lines
It’s the third time these clubs have met in the postseason, and it will be the Habs’ second consecutive Game 7. It was Toronto who advanced to within one game of advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals last year after rallying from a 3-1 series deficit against Montreal, but they were eliminated by an improbable Canadiens comeback in this first round playoff. The underdog Montreal Canadiens made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals before being vanquished by the ultimate champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
Montreal Canadiens vs Toronto Maple Leafs Betting Odds & Line Movement
The Maple Leafs opened as +190 underdogs in this game. If you shop around, you can get odds ranging from Toronto -155 to Toronto -180. The total is presently at 5.5, but with enough juice on the OVER that it appears some books may reach 6 before the puck drops.
Notes On The Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens had a particularly trying winter, as they lost defensive specialist Phillip Danault and the veteran leadership of Corey Perry. Both were snatched away by free agency.
The Canadiens also had to cope with the loss of blue-line stalwart Shea Weber, who may have played his final NHL game. The two-time Olympic gold medalist will be missed in both the locker room and on the ice.
It was also reported in recent days that Carey Price, who played at an outstanding level throughout the postseason run, has chosen to take a 30-day absence for personal reasons. Price will focus on his family and mental health while missing at least one month of hockey.The acquisition of Stanley Cup-winning defenseman David Savard and power-play specialist Mike Hoffman, both of whom will be needed to play significant minutes, indicates that the Habs are confident about their championship defense.
Notes On The Toronto Maple Leafs
Despite their lack of postseason success, Toronto GM Kyle Dubas spent the majority of his offseason defending his commitment to his current group of players. The Maple Leafs lost Zach Hyman to free agency, which necessitated the signing of Nick Ritchie and Michael Bunting to compete for a top-six role up front.
Toronto acquired a pair of new goaltenders in the off-season, with Petr Mrazek coming from Detroit and Jack Campbell from Dallas. In only 12 starts last season, Mrazek produced a 2.06 goals-against average and .923 save percentage for Carolina, who he helped to reach the Stanley Cup Final.
For Toronto, Auston Matthews (wrist problem) will not play tonight, and the megastar marksman is expected to miss the first three games of the regular season. Mitch Marner was also injured in practice recently and is listed as questionable.The Maple Leafs still have James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak and Nazem Kadri to count on. Their offense will be boosted by their return. Marner and Matthews are expected to score approximately 200 points this season, and losing one or both of them is a significant loss.
How Can Montreal Canadiens Win This Game?
In last year’s playoffs, the Canadiens harassed Toronto forwards with their tough, physical blueliners while leaning heavily on Price. Obviously, Montreal won’t have Price for this game, but Jake Allen may be the league’s best backup goalie.If the Habs can play with the same intensity and physicality they had in beating Toronto last season, they may steal an opening-night victory.
How Can Toronto Maple Leafs Win This Game?
There’s a reason the Maple Leafs began as big favorites on the moneyline, and it’s not just because of Auston Matthews. Toronto is built for postseason success, which is why the Maple Leafs were ever-present as huge underdogs during their first few seasons in existence.Despite Matthews’ absence, Toronto boasts a more talented forward group than Montreal and believes its top-four defensive unit of Morgan Rielly, T.J. Brodie, Jake Muzzin, and Justin Holl is capable of shutting down the opposition.Jack Campbell, if he’s the same Jack Campbell who Leafs supporters observed in the second half of 2017, has every chance to win this game for Toronto.
