Tampa Bay Lightning Vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (5/4/22) Betting Odds, Prediction, Line Combination, Starting Goalies
Contents
The Toronto Maple Leafs opened the first round of the playoffs with an impressive 5-0 victory over the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning: taking a 1-0 series advantage. Per NHL.com, Toronto won game one of a Stanley Cup Playoff series at home for the first time since the Eastern Conference quarterfinals in 2002. In the shutout victory, goalie Jack Campbell made 24 saves and Auston Matthews had two goals and an assist for the victorious Maple Leafs.
Tampa Bay has won the last two Stanley Cups and they are +1500 to win their third consecutive title; the last team to do so was the New York Islanders won four straight Stanley Cups in the early 1980’s. Toronto is +350 to win the Eastern Conference and +700 to hoist the 2021-22 Stanley Cup; they last won the Stanley Cup in 1966-67.
Tampa Bay Lightning Vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Betting Odds
Tampa Bay is 2-5 in their last seven games against the Maple Leafs. The Lightning are 15-2 in their last 17 games played on a Wednesday. The total number of goals has gone over in eight of Tampa Bay’s last 10 games. The Maple Leafs are 6-0 in their last six games at home. The total number of goals has gone under in four of Toronto’s last six games while playing Tampa Bay at Scotiabank Arena. The Maple Leafs are 8-2 in their last 10 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 72 points in 94 career playoff games. The Lightning captain is +3500 to win the Conn Smythe Trophy this season. 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). In 113 career playoff games, the winger has 127 points (44 goals and 83 assists). Kucherov is currently listed at +3000 to win the 2021-22 Conn Smythe Award. Alex Killorn was a +1 this season in 82 games scoring 59 points (25 goals and 34 assists). In the last two playoffs combined, Killorn had 27 points (13 goals and 14 assists).
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. The 2019-20 Conn Smythe winner is a +19 in 132 career playoff games with 88 points (19 goals and 69 assists). 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. Ryan McDonagh was a +15 this season, leading Tampa Bay with 137 blocked shots while adding 96 hits on the campaign. In 66 career playoff games with the Lightning, he’s a +13 with 18 points (one goal and 17 assists).
Andrei Vasilevskiy, the 2018-19 Vezina Trophy winner was 39-18-5 this season (tied for first in wins) in 63 games. The 2020-21 Conn Smythe winner had a .916 save percentage and a 2.49 GAA in 2021-22. Vasilevskiy is one of the best goalies in the league and is currently +2800 to repeat as Conn Smythe Trophy winner this season.
Toronto Maple Leafs Analysis
Center 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. Per NHL.com, Matthews is the first reigning winner of the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy in 15 years to score multiple goals in his team’s playoff opener; scoring two goals in game one against Tampa Bay. Mitch Marner was the second leading scorer for the Maple Leafs in the regular season with 97 points (35 goals and 62 assists). Averaging 20:53 of ice time per game, he was a +23 on the season. The right winger scored six power play goals, three shorthanded goals and five game winning goals in 2021-22. In the game one win on Monday night, Marner had a goal and two assists. 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. In 32 career playoff games, Nylander has totaled 23 points (10 goals and 13 assists). In his fourth campaign with Toronto, captain 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. In his 13 career playoff games with the Maple Leafs, Tavares has eight points (four goals and four assists).
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. Tampa Bay is 3-8-2 as an underdog in 2021-22. 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 51-21-3 as the favorite this season. I’m going with Toronto to take a 2-0 series lead, by winning game two by more than 1.5 goals with the clubs combining for over 6.5 goals.
Tampa Bay Lightning Vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Starting Goalies & Line Combination
