The Toronto Maple Leafs will play the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. Toronto has lost four of their last five games, while Vancouver has won six of their last seven. Let’s take a look at the betting matchup and the Maple Leafs vs Canucks prediction.
Maple Leafs Preview
The Toronto Maple Leafs are 22-13-8 this year after they defeated Calgary by a score of 4-3 in their last game. Toronto trailed 2-0 in the first period, but they scored the next four goals and were able to hang on for the win. The Maple Leafs out shot Calgary by a total of 32-26 and went 1-2 on the power play in the game. Toronto had lost their previous four games against Edmonton, Detroit, Colorado, and the Islanders. The Maple Leafs are scoring 3.49 goals per game and they are allowing 3.26 goals against per game, while going 26% on the power play and 77% on the penalty kill. William Nylander has led Toronto with 21 goals, 38 assists, and 186 shots on goal. The projected starting goalie for Toronto is Martin Jones, who is 9-5-1 this year with a 2.40 goals against average and a .920 save percentage.
Canucks Preview
The Vancouver Canucks are 30-11-4 this season after they defeated the Coyotes by a score of 2-1 in their last game. Vancouver was tied at one after the first period, but they scored late in the second period for the win. The Canucks out shot Arizona by a total of 26-21 and went 1-5 on the power play in the game. Vancouver lost to Columbus by a score of 4-3 in the game prior to Arizona, but they won the previous five games. The Canucks are scoring 3.78 goals per game and they are allowing 2.51 goals against per game, while going 23.1% on the power play and 79.1% on the penalty kill. J.T. Miller has led Vancouver with 20 goals, 41 assists, and 94 shots on goal. The projected starting goalie for Vancouver is Thatcher Demko, who is 23-8-1 this season with a 2.42 goals against average and a .919 save percentage.
Vancouver Canucks Team Facts
- The underdogs have won 10 of the last 11 games between the Maple Leafs and Canucks at Rogers Arena.
- The underdogs have covered the puck line in each of the last six games between the Maple Leafs and Canucks at Rogers Arena.
- The home team has won the second period in each of the last four games between the Maple Leafs and Canucks.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in 10 of the Canucks’ last 12 home games against Atlantic Division opponents.
Toronto Maple Leafs Team Facts
- The underdogs have won 10 of the Maple Leafs’ last 11 games at Rogers Arena.
- The Maple Leafs have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last six games at Rogers Arena.
- The Maple Leafs have won the third period in five of their last six games as underdogs.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 2′ market has hit in 20 of the Maple Leafs’ last 23 games.
Vancouver Canucks Player Prop Facts
- Elias Pettersson has scored at least one goal in six of the Canucks’ last seven games.
- Brock Boeser has recorded at least one point in each of the Canucks’ last six home games against Atlantic Division opponents.
- Quinn Hughes has recorded at least one assist in each of his last seven appearances against the Maple Leafs.
- Quinn Hughes ranks 1st in the Western Conference for Plus/Minus (+33) this season.
Toronto Maple Leafs Player Prop Facts
- Auston Matthews has scored at least one goal in each of the Maple Leafs’ last three games against Pacific Division opponents.
- John Tavares has recorded at least one point in each of the Maple Leafs’ last 10 Saturday games against the Canucks.
- Tyler Bertuzzi has recorded an assist in each of his last four appearances with his team as an underdog against the Canucks.
- Auston Matthews ranks 1st in the league for multi-goal games (12) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Vancouver Canucks are the only team to rank in the top 10 for both goals scored and goals conceded per game this season.
- The Vancouver Canucks rank 2nd in the league for goals against per game this season (2.51).
- The Toronto Maple Leafs rank 25th in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (77.05%).
- The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of only three teams to win 7+ games when trailing after Period 1 this season.
Maple Leafs vs Canucks Betting Prediction
Toronto was able to snap their losing streak with a win over Calgary in their last game, but they have not played their best over the last couple of weeks. The Leafs are 12-4-6 on the road, while Vancouver is 15-4-1 at home. The Canucks are one of the top teams in the NHL and while they are very good offensively, their defense is one of the best in the league. Vancouver is only allowing 2.51 goals against per game and I think the Canucks will get the job done here. Toronto has been incredibly inconsistent this season, so I am going to take the Canucks at home.