Much like last year the Toronto Maple Leafs are an offensive oriented team that is exciting to watch but loose on the back end which is where Stanley Cup championships are ultimately won. The Leafs ranked eighth in the NHL for goal scoring but 16th for goals against in a pattern that is a similar look to 2013-14.
Toronto ranked 26th in the NHL for shots allowed and even those who are not members of the analytics crowd must acknowledge that the Leafs are once again, as former general manager Brian Burke once famously said, “an eighteen wheeler heading off a cliff.”
Any team can win for a brief period of time without a solid back check but eventually the law of averages catches up and such teams are eliminated as serious Cup contenders. All in all Toronto seems to have learned nothing from last spring’s epic collapse. Let’s now take a look at some top NHL matchups this week.
NHL Rivalry Night features Wednesday Doubleheader Action
The Toronto Maple Leafs will host the Boston Bruins at Air Canada Centre with puck drop set for 8 PM ET. Boston has dominated this series with 14 payouts in their last 20 games against Toronto with seven out of the last 10 meetings between the Leafs and Bruins going over the total.
In a rematch of an epic Western Conference semifinal series last year the Los Angeles Kings will visit the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center with faceoff time set for 10:30 PM ET. Anaheim has won seven out of their last 11 games against the Kings with just three out of the last 13 meetings between the Kings and Ducks going over the total.
CBC Hockey Night in Canada Doubleheader Saturday
The Buffalo Sabres will host the Toronto Maple Leafs at the First Niagara Center with faceoff time set for 7 PM ET. Toronto has paid out in four out of their last five games against Buffalo with just one out of the last five meetings between the Leafs and Sabres going under the total.
The Calgary Flames will host the Ottawa Senators at the Scotiabank Saddledome with faceoff time set for 10 PM ET. Ottawa has won three out of their last four games with Calgary as just three out of the last eight meetings between the Flames and Sens going over the total.
Rogers Hometown Hockey on CITY Sunday
The Detroit Red Wings will host the Montreal Canadiens at Joe Louis Arena in a classic Original Six matchup with faceoff time set for 7 PM ET. Montreal has won their last three meetings with Detroit as just two out of the last seven meetings between the Canadiens and Wings have gone under the total. We like Montreal in this one.
