Maple Leafs aim for commanding 3-0 lead while Panthers look to win first game of the series
The Maple Leafs stunned the Cats in the first two game of their second round series, giving Toronto their first sizeable second round lead in over three decades.
The game was a battle with both sides looking to inflict as much pain as possible with Toronto receiving the worst of things as they lost starting goaltender Anthony Stolarz but backup Joseph Woll shined in his absence.
Game three will make for an exciting showcase as the Panthers will look to exact revenge and claw their way back into the series. Toronto on the other hand, will aim to put Florida firmly against the ropes and secure their second 3-0 series lead of the postseason after doing so to Ottawa in the forest round.
For bettors, this matchup provides a chance to capitalize on some of our recent strong trends, like our 33-23 record on our last 55 picks, including perfect records during Game 1 and 4 of the Maple Leafs-Senators series.
More NHL: Toronto Maple Leafs vs Florida Panthers Betting Guide: Best Bets, Strategies and Future Options
All betting lines are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Florida Panthers Best Bets:
- Panthers -1.5 (+116)
- Matthew Tkachuk Under 0.5 points (+172)
Leafs fans are anxiously awaiting for one thing: a standout game from Matthew Tkachuk.
With just one point through the first two games and no goals in four straight games, the Scottsdale native is becoming more and more due for a big game. Tkachuk recorded 22 points in 24 games last postseason with few cold streaks but it is worth mentioning only six of those 22 points were goals.
More NHL: Jonathan Toews NHL Return Could Be With Anaheim Ducks, According to NHL Insider
After recording back-to-back 40-goal seasons in 2022 and 2023, he has turned away from goal scoring and has scored 48 goals in the previous two years. This could be attributed to Tkachuk pivoting his style of play to more of a two-way play style similar to Auston Matthews and could cut into his scoring production.
Matthew Tkachuk has been placed on IR with a groin injury.✔️ Subscribe to ESPN+ https://plus.espn.com/✔️ Get the ESPN App: http://www.espn.com/espn/apps/espn✔️ Subscribe to ESPN on YouTube: http://es.pn/SUBSCRIBEtoY…
It could also be a symptom of his undisclosed injury that he suffered at the Four Nations. He has rarely played big-time minutes this postseason with 13 minutes or fewer in three of his last seven games. We are going to go against the public and actually fade Tkachuk in this spot the limited oppurtunies should continue to hold him back.
The Panthers should bounce back however as it would be a new world of danger for Florida if goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky had another start with four goals allowed. The 36-year-old has never in his career allowed three or more goals in three consecutive starts versus Toronto in the same season with the only time it happening being in matchups separated by two years apart in 2020 with Columbus and in 2022 with Florida.
This should help lift Florida to a much needed win and keep themselves off the ropes for another game and give themselves a chance to tie in game four. Florida has also covered the puck line as a favourite in four straight four home matchups versus Toronto.
More NHL: Utah Hockey Club Announces New Team Name
Read the full article here