Tampa Bay Lightning Vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (5/14/22) Betting Odds, Prediction, Line Combination, Starting Goalies
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Playing at home, the Tampa Bay Lightning evened their Eastern Conference First Round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs at three with a 4-3 win in Game six; forcing the series deciding seventh game on Saturday. Brayden Point scored with 1:56 left in overtime lifting the Lightning to the victory. Tampa Bay is 17-0 in the postseason following a loss since the beginning of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, per NHL.com.
Tampa Bay has won the last two Stanley Cups and is currently +1400 to win their third consecutive title; the last team to do so was the New York Islanders who won four straight Stanley Cups; 1979-80 through 1982-83. Toronto is +900 to capture the 2021-22 Stanley Cup; they last won the Stanley Cup in 1966-67. The Maple Leafs last made it past the first round of the playoffs in 2003-04.
Tampa Bay Lightning Vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Betting Odds
The Lightning are 0-4 in their last four games following a win. Over is 5-0 in Tampa Bay’s last five Conference Quarterfinals games. The Lightning are 10-3 in their last 13 playoff games as an underdog. The home team is 5-2 in the last seven meetings between Tampa Bay and Toronto. Over is 33-14-6 in the Maple Leafs last 53 games as a favorite. Toronto is 55-26 in their last 81 games overall. Over is 5-0 in the Maple Leafs last five Conference Quarterfinals games.
Tampa Bay Lightning Analysis
Steven Stamkos led the team in goals with 42 and points with 106 points during the regular season. The center had 16 power play goals and an incredible 11 game winning goals in 2021-22. The two-time Stanley Cup champion was a +24 while averaging 18:29 of ice time per game. Stamkos has scored two goals in the first round series against the Maple Leafs; he has scored 34 career postseason goals. Nikita Kucherov played in 47 games this season after missing the beginning of the season due to injury and was the club’s third leading scorer with 69 points (25 goals and 44 assists). The 2018-19 Hart Trophy winner was a +1 in 2021-22 with 30 points on the power play (nine goals and 21 assists). He leads the club in postseason points this year with eight in six games (two goals and six assists). Ondrej Palat had 49 points in 77 games this season (18 goals and 31 assists). He was a +15 and scored five game winning goals in 2021-22. Palat has five points (three goals and two assists) in six games vs. the Lightning in the first round of the postseason.
Victor Hedman was the second leading scorer for Tampa Bay in 2021-22 with 85 points (20 goals and 65 assists). In 82 games this season, the 2017-18 Norris Trophy winner was a +26 with 129 blocked shots and 94 hits. In the sixth game, Hedman led all skaters with 31:43 of ice time. Mikhail Sergachev was the second leading scorer among Lightning defensemen during the regular season with 38 points (seven goals and 31 assists). He was +6 with 123 blocked shots and 139 hits in 2021-22. Through six games of the first round, he has two assists and is averaging 22:52 of ice time per game. Ryan McDonagh was a +15 this season, leading Tampa Bay with 137 blocked shots while adding 96 hits on the campaign. He has three points and is averaging 22:10 of ice time per game in the first round of the 2021-22 playoffs.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, the 2018-19 Vezina Trophy winner was 39-18-5 this season (tied for first in wins) in 63 games. Tampa Bay’s number 88 had a .916 save percentage and a 2.49 GAA in 2021-22. In Game Six, he made 30 saves in the victory over Toronto.
Toronto Maple Leafs Analysis
Auston Matthews led the NHL in goals with 60 and was the Maple Leafs leading scorer with 106 points. The sniper was a +20 with 16 power play goals and 10 game winning goals in 2021-22. In the loss on Thursday night, the star center scored his fourth goal of the series; overall in the first round he has eight points. Matthews is +1400 to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. Mitch Marner was the second leading scorer for the Maple Leafs in the regular season with 97 points (35 goals and 62 assists). The right winger scored six power play goals, three shorthanded goals and five game winning goals in 2021-22. Through the first six games of the series vs. the Lightning he has seven points (two goals and five assists). Marner is currently +3000 to win the 2021-22 Conn Smythe Trophy. William Nylander had 80 points this year (34 goals and 46 assists). Toronto’s number 88 scored 13 power play goals and seven game winning goals (second on the team) in 2021-22. Nylander had two assists in the sixth game; to become the first Maple Leafs player to have multiple points in three consecutive playoff games since 2002, per NHL.com. In his fourth campaign with Toronto, John Tavares had 76 points (27 goals and 49 assists) in 79 games. This year he scored 10 goals on the power play and tallied three game winning goals. The Maple Leafs captain scored twice in 26 seconds in the second period of Game Six.
Morgan Reilly led Toronto’s defensive group with 68 points (10 goals and 58 assists) on the campaign. He averaged 23:44 of ice time per game and was a +16 in 82 games. Reilly has five points in the first round series against the Lightning. T.J. Brodie played in all 82 games this season, chipping in 28 points (four goals and 24 assists). Additionally, he was a +20, blocking 106 shots and delivering 53 hits. Brodie is a +6 with two points in the 2021-22 postseason. Jake Muzzin has scored two goals in the opening round against the Lightning. This season in 47 games, he had 14 points (three goals and 11 assists). In 2021-22, Muzzin delivered 105 hits and blocked 60 shots. In the sixth game of the series, he had 30:15 of ice time.
Jack Campbell started 47 games after missing time this year due to a rib injury. In his third season in Toronto, he was 31-9-6 with a .914 save percentage, a 2.64 GAA and five shutouts. Campbell has started all six games in the first round against Tampa Bay; making 159 saves on 178 shot attempts (.893 save percentage) with a 3.33 GAA.
Tampa Bay Lightning Vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Picks & Prediction
During the regular season, Tampa Bay scored 3.5 goals per game, ranking them eighth in the NHL. On the defensive side, the Lightning allowed 2.8 goals per game which was sixth in the league. The Lightning are 2-6 in their last eight games as a road underdog. The Maple Leafs scored 3.8 goals per game during the regular season, second in the NHL. Defensively Toronto allowed 3.1 goals per game, 19th overall. The Maple Leafs are 38-14 in their last 52 home games.
This will finally be the year the Maple Leafs get through the first round and advance in the playoffs ending the Lightning’s bid for a third straight Stanley Cup title. Toronto will defeat Tampa Bay in Game Seven, 5-3 covering the 1.5 goal spread as the teams combine for over 6.5 goals.
Tampa Bay Lightning Vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Starting Goalies & Line Combination
